Springing Renewable Energy- A Call for Policy Change or Lifestyle Requirement?

The Industrial Revolution in eighteenth century started with the discovery of fossil fuel, now it is time for a ‘New Renaissance’ with Sustainable Renewable Energy that would form the crux of developing India. We require energy for economic growth and job creation. To achieve Millennium Development goals by 2015 and sustainable clean energy by 2030 an integrated approach to energy is essential for which we need to focus on not just consumption but also on conservation. So far the concentration has been on profit made from energy consumption but now the focus has to be on energy saving to make profit. For this, effort has to be made on capacity building for energy saving inclusive of market requirements.


Women in rural areas even today use traditional fuels and technology with poor ventilation, low efficiency that has serious health hazards. Sustainable Development department (SD) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) observe that in rural India, agriculture and allied industrial sectors employ as much as 89.5% of the total female labour. Women's work is getting harder and more time-consuming due to ecological degradation. The Indian population, particularly the rural, is highly dependent upon forest resources. Fuel wood contributes 84% of the total household energy consumption (UNDP, 1997). There are 66.5 million tribals in India and with few exceptions; the majority of them are forest dwellers (FAO, 1997). Unfortunately, forests are deteriorating massively due to the use of traditional fuels in rural households. Alternative sources of energy provide a feasible solution. Wind power, active and passive solar systems, geothermal energy, and biomass are examples of renewable or alternative energy sources. In remote villages, the challenge to set up an alternative energy support grid persists due to lack of availability of financial support. In such a situation the question arises- how do the government policies affect this situation and how can private sector contribute to it?

Although such alternative sources make up a small fraction of total energy production today, their share is growing. For promoting the potential of bio-energy – one of the most viable renewable energy options for India- the most important beginning would be to include bio-energy friendly policies and facilitating adoption of bio-energy in industry and other sectors. Collaboration with research and academic institutions on joint projects in bio-energy can help take research and development further. Policy makers, financial institutions and development industry can serve as the one point expert source on bio-energy for creating a strong network of alliances with government, research and academic institutions, industries, technology centers and experts across the globe to facilitate cutting edge solutions in bio-energy.


Anouj Mehta, ADB Representative, explains the financial aspect of bio-gas and stresses that it should be treated as business and not charity. There should be incentives for bio-gas power, relief of VAT and other taxes etc. He also suggested the subsidy could be provided for bio-gas energy. Mr.Suresh Rege from Mailhem Engineers, Pune, India also strongly recommended that policy should drive technology, but many a times it tries to follow development. For example he stated bio-gas production from KVIC model for years. Hence he argued that policies need to bring best and appropriate technology for higher capacities to produce efficient power generation. He stressed that there must be special incentives provided for better policy making. He raised the question that is subsidy the right policy? Is it for promoting the concept or for the project cost reduction? What should be areas for subsidy- capital expenditure or maintenance and operation? When to give subsidy- on purchase, on completion, on continuation and regular efficient utilization? Who to give the subsidy- financial promoter or technical provider? What should be the amount for subsidy- conservative or bold/progressive while giving subsidy? Mr.Rege concluded by asserting that it is important to give bold and pragmatic subsidy to ensure development. He explained that the meaning of ‘Mail+Hem’ in Sanskrit is waste converted to gold. Their idea is based upon the practice of converting organic waste into useful energy- bio-gas.

In cities canteen waste, animal waste and agro wastes are converted into bio-gas. This initiative is environment friendly, sustainable, economical and aesthetically inclined. The bio-energy production would put to use the waste from rural as well as urban centres and could help overcome bio-environmental issues. The challenge is to invest in initial capital for setting up the project. The aim has to be not just current profit but energy saving as an investment for future. Bio-energy production can reduce expenditure of fossil fuels and prevent health hazards caused by traditional cooking fuels like coal/firewood, especially for women in rural India. Household waste will contribute in the production of energy creating an effective waste-management and ensure a cleaner, greener and smokeless environment, with private sectors fulfilling their bit of social responsibility and with government policies that encourage such initiatives.

From Chai to Coffee....

At work my days are divided into coffee breaks now. Each coffee break is a community affair and is observed with punctuality and efficiency. It reminds me of the ritual in college when girls would bunch up to go to the ladies room all chirpy and giggling. On similar lines the coffee breaks are an essential part of the warming up and bonding process. The first one is in the morning around 9am, the warm-up coffee break where people meet to greet each other and discuss their modes of travelling - cab or metro. Then follows two hours of work and more work which tires further, thus another coffee break at 11.30 ish. That break is to discuss the progress of the work so far or simply to discuss who all are present or on leave in office today or will be leaving early.

Thus continues the 10-15 mins of coffee/tea/lemon tea sipping. The coffee vending machine expends the sweetest imaginable coffee. It is so sweet that it makes a corporate HR team seem bland. The measure for the cup of coffee is variable according to the demands of the intaker- either full, half or leave-it-if-its-too-much options. Apparantly one of our collegues discovered that if you press the 'soup' button it dispenses black tea.

Then it is back to work for all till the clock strikes one, which announces the lunch break. Lunch is another ritual followed by assembling on the same dining table. Everyone has the plates laid out, lunches shared, kari, aloo ki sabzi, palak, dal and raita passed around. CWG politics to sports to music is discussed while devouring the food. After wrapping up the lunching, work proceeds till the next and final community coffee intake at 3.15 ish. The last break is a fairly silent affair where everyone is too tired to speak or too anxious for the clock to show five. Finally the gong of respite sounds at 5pm when we all log out of the intranet and switch off computers till the next day of hard work, toil and more coffee.

Big Bazaar @ Rs.15

A trip to Big Bazaar over the weekend sure proved useful and muscle effective. Useful because I came across my unexpected booty @15! and muscle effective.... have you even been there over a weekend with all the sales on?! Utility meets cost-effectiveness meets trendy look combined with the element of surprise. Seriously, this little denim pocket for just Rs.15 at Big Bazaar, renewed my faith in our desi Wall Mart.

Finally a place where one can buy something from the Home Decor section for that price. While walking up the aisle, climbing the slant, crossing lines of colourful stuff toys and plastic mugs, I was more annoyed than enthusiastic about being there at that time. Thanks to my mom's enthu that we reached the required section. As she went on with her business, I hung back killing time looking at rugs and curtains that I don't need. Trying to hide from the eager, smiling, over friendly staff trying to make a sale, I ducked into the towel/carpet/rug shelves to get sufficient cover. And then.... hidden in the last shelf, neglected by all eyes, snuggled with the bigger and brighter goods was lying there this little denim pocket. I picked it up and instinctively checked the price... it took me a while to believe that it was @Rs15 and it did not have a zero missing at the end. To further confirm, I went up to the salesperson from whom I was hiding so far. She gave me a judgmental look at my inappropriate amount of happiness at finding something so cheap and did not seem too happy that I had found what they were probably trying to hide. Maybe because they want you to buy only that, which is over priced that you think you want.

Bringing it home, this trendy denim pocket conveniently replaced the wall-jhola. The wall-jhola is an ancient, nostalgic piece of art that every Bangali home has. It is so ancient that when and if it would be removed it will have a long black print on the wall. It is characteristically made of cloth and has three huge pockets that are loaded with old receipts, paper bills, pocket diaries, ball pens that never work and other important tid-bits. Some are also pegged on top of calendars with bold numbers (with DEY's written on top) to increase space utility. This trendy denim pocket is washable so one need not worry about ink spilling inside it from leaky pens or rubber bands melting in the heat, which have been collected after every morning newspaper is delivered.

In fact, this would be great to hang behind the car seat when planning a long trip. It can be used to keep the petrol receipts that can be reimbursed by the company that you don't want to lose, or tissues or a goodie bag for survival with feminine essentials-sunscreen, hair brush, tooth brush, STs, deo, mouth fresher, shades, lose change etc. A one pocket solution to all your various needs.

It is true- best things in this world come in small packages. And in this case, at even smaller price!

Dance by M.Mukundan- Book Review

Dance by M.Mukundan

Translated by D.Krishna Ayyar and K.G. Ramakrishnan

“Dance with your body as a whole, not with your limbs alone.”

“Amidst a swirl of dancing bodies, my body stood out stark and clear. The darkness which no one wanted was now an asset. To appreciate black, I had to borrow the eyes of white men.”

This book flows along with your reading and mesmerizes the reader. Reading Dance is like watching a performance. Dance can be read at many layers- as a form of self-expression, reviving the dying art of ‘kalaripayattu’ or an attempt to fuse it with modern dance. The English translation of M Mukundan’s award-winning Malayalam novel Nruttam, it is a celebration of dance transcending continents and passion through cyberspace, one message is all it takes to put into action the narrative of Dance. This novella, originally written in Malayalam, has been translated into English by D.Krishna Ayyar and K.G. Ramakrishnan. The flawless fluidity of the narrative holds the reader from start. This is a treat for every person who enjoys a compelling narrative that touches your heart. It takes dance from a physical expression to a spiritual interaction forming a heart-warming bond between people who have never met. “I forgot my body. I forgot my mind… I wasn’t there. The dance alone was.”

Satchidanandan commented on the novel, as being a “transformation of the everyday.” He said, “For the first time in India, email has been used to develop a serial narrative through which the story unfolds. This is something unique and global.”

(http://www.merinews.com/article/katha-launches-dance-an-extraordinary-book/131510.shtml)

“Dance” is not merely about dance. “It is multi-layered. It is about the borderless world. It speaks about the colonisation of bodies. The changing face of art and its commercialisation also finds mention,” Mukundan unravels the novella.

(http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/03/29/stories/2008032951720100.htm)

The End of Human History by Hasan Manzar- My Book Review

Title: The End of Human History

Author: Hasan Manzar

Place: New Delhi, India

Publisher: Katha

Publication date: 2002

Pages: 299

Price: Rs.295

ISBN: 81-87649-37-2

The End of Human History is a collection of short stories translated from Urdu to English. This book is a good literary read for those who like stories about personal experiences affected by political and social events. These stories set between pre-partition to post-partition era explore themes such as nationalism, religious identity and narrate gritty realism through mundane details of ordinary people. Manzar tells the story of “real, flesh and blood people, victims of oppression and violence, scarred by pain and injustice.” Hasan Manzar was born in Hapur (Uttar Pradesh) in 1934. His family migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and settled in Lahore where he received his formal education in Forman Christian College, Ismania College and later King Edward Medical College for his medical degree. He lives in Hyderabad, Sindh. In his conception and form of storytelling he is a realist and believes in subtlety.

What makes these stories unforgettable is the point of view of narration. Each story is uniquely narrated from each individual’s perspective. It gives a distinct personal touch to each character’s story. The characters have flaws that the reader can relate to. The events unfold from the perspective of someone who is always involved in it, be it the victim in ‘Emancipation’ and ‘The Beggar Boy’, or the characters troubled by their reckless, drunk father in ‘The Old Croc’. It is not the larger social domain but the personal domain affected by social consequences that is presented for the reader. The stories are translated from Urdu into English but it retains an enticing picture of society in which it is set.

The name of this collection is inspired by Manzar’s story ‘The End of Human History’, which is the last story in this book. It is filled with symbolism, satire and black humor to drive home a crucial message, although there are repetitions of the same point in various forms in the story, it is loud and clear- women perishing would mean the end of mankind. In my opinion, the ending of this could find parallels as an inversion of Adam and Eve’s story where the woman was created for man who started the human race, here the man buries his wife marking an end of humankind.

In ‘The One Upstair’, it is Yasmeen’s silences that speak louder than her words. She is a kept woman who refers to the ‘madam’ as the one upstairs. In the story, Rafeeq Khan a salesman and probably her paramour, comes to visit her with a rooster. Through their dialogue we find out, “It’s all in the hands of the one upstairs” for Yasmeen.

Another victim whose fate is in the hands of someone else is the 12 year old boy in ‘The Beggar Boy’, who is thrown into religious dilemma when asked to change his religion in exchange for food, cloth and shelter from a Muslim family. The omnipresent narrator comments sardonically, “…our story isn’t all that old…in the days of Hastinapur’s eminence, people didn’t go about persuading others to change their religion.” It is the 12 year old boy who undergoes the trauma bearing the burden of religion and resigns to fate and concludes “Let’s just say there are people who do many things without a reason.”

It is the reason to live that the old couple seems to be looking for in ‘The Cactus’. It is a story of an old couple planning to sell off their house in Hyderabad and move to Karachi. There runs an undercurrent of nostalgia and missing one’s family that runs through the story. While reading the story I felt that the cactus represents the prickling reminder of what they are missing. The cactus has encroached into their house making a hole in the wall just as the thorns of loneliness and longing have left a hole in their hearts.

Through all the stories suffering continues to build up where eventually in the last story human kind is threatened with extinction- as a consequence of its own deeds. What strikes the reader most is the pattern of each story-how it builds up and leaves the reader in discomfort searching his own solutions. Manzar’a purpose is to make readers identify with human emotions that transcend historical contexts and different value systems. It makes one realize of the many attitudes and mind-sets that have been internalized with time without even questioning. These stories by Manzar are a reminder of those. It is an interesting read with impeccable translation that retains the essence of the original.

Korean Superstitions

Superstitions are the strangest and the most interesting part of any culture. Listed below are my favourites from Korean culture.

1. People with 'B' blood group are not to be trusted

This is illustrated with a story- In a restaurant there are four people sitting. First one is 'A' blood group, second one is 'B' blood group, third one is 'AB' and fourth one is 'O'. When the food arrives, it is not good, thus follows reactions from each person belonging to specific blood group. 'A' blood group- "Oh my!! if I leave my food what will the others think?" (incessantly worrying) 'B' blood group- "Who cares, let's finish it, forget it and move on" (insensitive, opportunist) 'AB' blood group- "What kind of crap is this!! I will sue you"(rebel, leader, extrovert, dominating) and 'O' blood group person continues to eat happily (easygoing, happy-go-lucky, carefree and cool-headed.) So people with 'B' blood group are supposed to be the twisted, cold-hearted, opportunists, who cannot be trusted. This interesting fact was related to me by none other than my Korean professor after a casual post-conference coffee. What surprised me was the reaction of the other Korean students who were subsequently asked their blood-groups, all of them said they belonged to 'A', 'AB', or 'O'. It turned out that I was the only person with 'B' blood group and a foreigner. The idea of personality based on blood group is said to be started by the Japanese (click on link)

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art22988.asp

2. Writing name in red is inauspicious

If you write anyone's name in red, (including your own) you wish them death. I would write my name with multi-colour pens on my syntax text books just to make it look happy, one day my Korean classmate pointed out that I should not write my name in red, as I would be inviting death. My guess is that maybe the colour red is the colour of blood, so if you write your name in red it's like writing it in blood, hence you are going to spill your blood, in other words you would get hurt or die. On the contrary names are written in red on wedding invitation cards for Hindus. All names are written in red because it indicates celebration, joy and an auspicious occasion.

3. Number four is bad and means death

When I would go to the biggest department store in Korea, Time World Galleria, I would be confused by the numbering in the elevator. It had numeric 1 to 15 indicating the floors on it except number 4. In place of 4 it was written 'F'. Now I would think this 'F' would stand for first floor. But that was not logical. So my Korean friend explained it to me that number 4 is the number of death for Koreans. The phonetic sound of 4 in Korean is 'sa', which is derived from Chinese, 'ci', which also means 'to die'. Therefore the elevator does not have 4 written on the buttons, just a 'F'. Some apartments do not even have the fourth floor, after the 3rd floor we go directly to the 5th floor.

4. Counting of age begins even before you are born

Age in Korea starts one year ahead of when the baby is born. When it is conceived life starts from that moment, the counting of age also beings with it. So if you are 20yrs in India, you will be 21 in Korea. Also when the new year begins another year is added to your age from the start of new year. On January 2011 you will become 22, even before your birthday. When a baby is born he/she is already one year old, and if born in December, next month in January will become 2yrs. already!!

5. Eating hot food in summer cools your body

Eating hot, piping Korean food like 'Sam-gye-thang', chicken soup in scorching summer will cool your body. Eating the hot soup will make you sweat, therefore due to the perspiration your body temperature will cool down, releasing the heat from inside. Also when you are angry, you should drink hot water (not cold water). Hot water will make the anger spill out, instead of cooling it down and suppressing it. If you drink cool water the anger gets suppressed, it increases the pressure on your heart which is not good. Therefore, one should drink hot water to release anger.

6. Body piercings are bad

The idea takes root in Confucianism-your parents gave you the body you are born with. You have no right over it, so you cannot destroy it or deform it in any ways. Piercing makes a hole in your body which is a form of defiling, therefore you are destroying the gift that your parents gave. Therefore any form of piercing is bad and a disrespect. Not many Korean girls actually have too many pierces, at max most of them have one set of ear piercing, that too after they pass out of school or graduate from university, basically as soon as they can renounce parental control. Although some Korean guys too are joining the piercing club with changing times. Personally, I used to get a lot of attention in Korea for my nose piercing, when perfect strangers in bus stations would come up to me, point at my nose and ask, "Appha-yo?" ("Does it hurt?")

7. Pork soup is an anti-dote for hangover

There is a special spicy pork rib soup in Korea, called 'Hye-jang-kook' that is believed to be the perfect remedy to remove hangover. It is believed to be made with special herbs and spices that 'wake up' your senses. This is one of the most delicious dishes I have had in Korea. I still remember that place near City Hall, behind the Krispy Kreme that would serve the best pork rib soup in town. It is served specially in a black stone bowl, straight out of fire along with radish kimchi as side dish (fermented vegetable, Korean specialty). So if Saturday night you drunk then Sunday morning eat spicy pork rib soup to avoid hangover. Around the campus area called Gung Dong, there was an eating place run by a Korean ajuma, who would sell 'hye-jang-kook' and open up as early as 7.30am. Every morning there would be a long line of Korean men going in and ordering pork soup, after a night of partying!

8. Sleeping with the fan switched on might result in death

Electric fans sold in Korea are equipped with a "timer knob" switch, which turns them off after a set number of minutes: perceived as a life-saving function, particularly essential for bed-time use. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death

There are hardly any ceiling fans in Korea, they mostly use table fans during summer. All fans come with a timer. The timer ensures that 'fan deaths' are prevented. The belief is that if you sleep with the fan on, the fan blades rotating at such high speed could fall down on you and kill you. This is my favourite of all the Korean superstitions. My students would tell me with straight faces and full concern that I should not sleep with the fan turned on at night, instead use air conditioner. The fan is dangerous, and could kill you, I could think of no explanation for this one. There are articles that would appear in newspapers convincing people of occurrences of 'fan deaths'.

In an e-mail interview with the IHT-JoongAng Daily, Dr. Yeon Dong-su, dean of Kwandong University's medical school, who has investigated some cases of "fan deaths," refuted some of the wilder theories but insisted fan deaths do occur.

"Many people say that these victims die from lack of oxygen, but that is not true," Dr. Yeon wrote. "Hypothermia does not only occur in the winter when it is cold. The symptoms can also take place if a person has been drinking and turns on a fan in a closed room. Most people wake up when they feel cold, but if you are drunk you will not wake up, even if your body temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius (95 F), at which point you can die from hypothermia." (click on link) http://web.archive.org/web/20070110052746/http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200409/22/200409222123324579900091009101.html%0D%0D

Wonder how would they survive summer in Delhi without a ceiling fan!!

Mysterious Mithai

Today my senior editor got a small box of the most unconventional sweets. They were shaped like white plastic bars, three of them placed side by side in the tiny box.They seemed to be wrapped in translucent plastic sheets. Inside those plastic-looking wrapping were the most delicious fillings made in desi ghee. The most unique thing about this mithai was that there was no need to chew it. All you have to do is place it on your tongue and it would melt like butter spreading the rich, delicious sweetness all over. It melted like heaven with the sweetest taste. Wish I could know the name of this mithai, and where to get it.
(PS: This mithai is called 'khaja'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaja)

Weekend Outs

So every weekend I have been doing something new.Couple of weeks back went to TC- Turquoise Cottage, Saket. Went there with crazy hard rock fan friend. We arrived at 12 midnight at TC. DJ was playing the loudest imaginable jamming, sounds crashing walls reaching a final crescendo before dying down and mushing into romantic love songs. But the few minutes we went there, were filled with death metal jamming, finest we heard in long time, thanks to DJ. Booze is affordable. The music a treat for hard rock genre lovers and the crowd young and grooving. Last weekend I took a different set of friends only to meet with a huge sign saying 'CLOSED'. Oh come on!!! we love that place, besides that TC stamp on my wrist sure gets a lot of attention for the next few days.

A Cup of 'Chai'

Everyday at office, the kitchen incharge would serve us tea. Invariably hot and steaming cup of truely desi 'chai' in the morning. Irrespective of the weather, heat or mood. As regular as clockwork, as per the schedule mentioned in the appointment letter, you shall receive tea everyday, twice. To begin with two facts, yes we have a 'kitchen' in the office and each of our appointment letter clearly states that tea shall be served twice in a day. I guess they stress on it for the reason that other offices have smart looking impersonal cafeterias where you have to 'buy' stuff. We are served.

Every day in the morning after beating the nine o'clock traffic rush in the rising temperature in the city, when we reach office, the shirts are sticking to the back already dripping with sweat. After the computers are turned on and gmail checked, people get ready to do some real 'work'. There are two tea serving sessions, one at ten, the other at eleven. At ten, when the senior editors come to the office, tea is immediatly served to them. The following round is for the 'rest of the people'. So we fall in the eleven o'clock bracket of 'chai'-serving. 'Chai' actually describes the brown liquid served better. 'Tea' however gives it more of an elegant high tea jingle, which no way does justice.

The 'chai' is actually milk boiled with water and tonns of sugar in it, hastily thrown in tea leaves to give it the brown liquor colour. It is lovingly served in thick glass mugs with orange rims. The orange rims in some cups are chipped off giving it a cracked antique look. It depends on ones' luck, which day he/she gets what cup, completely cracked, half cracked or just barely cracked. The completely cracked ones have to be maneuvered carefully in order to sip from the non-chipped portions to avoid lip-cuts. The half cracked cups are the majority, with a single crack running neatly, telling you clearly to handle it with care, and if you are extremely lucky you shall find the barely there cracks at the bottom only after you drain the tea completely.

The lady who serves the tea is proud of her tea-making skill. If anyone refuses to be served she would take it as a personal offense. She takes it for granted that everyone in the office would need tea before they start their work, even if it is a 46 degree celsius outside. On 'ethical' grounds our office doesnot use an AC. The building is made of bricks without cement plastering it with little gaps in the walls for air flow. There are bamboo chiks on the windows and ancient coolers trying to keep the place cool. The gaps pass warm, dusty air, the chiks are dusty and a hundred years old, falling apart in places, held precariously by worn out threads, so the coolers are the lone warriors to beat the heat. In such a humid, sticky summer when boiling, steaming hot 'chai' is served as a routine, it adds to the heat rather than beat it. If there is any reluctance in accepting the 'chai', the sweet lady is quick to give options. She would insist on black tea with lemon in it. Lately, as the price of lemons have shot up, this option has been withdrawn.

Hot 'chai', hot summer, no AC in the office and the traffic rush in the morning becomes even more unbearable if it is a Saturday. The sweet thought of weekend after five days of work is rudely destroyed with evidences from reality. The heat rising, mercury soaring and work piling, my 'chai' just arrived in a barely cracked orange rim almost antique mug. Atleast I am lucky to have the least cracked mug today.

Che-yook Pokkam

Che Yook Pokkam - Korean Food

 Living in South Korea for four years introduced me to various forms of spicy, hot and marinated forms of food. Che-yook pokkam is one of my favorite Korean dishes. Like most Korean dishes it is made of pork. It is mainly made of marinated boneless pork. The pork is marinated in soy sauce, chilly paste and other spices. Then stir fried with little bit of gravy left in it. It is eaten with rice served in a small bowl.

Che-yook pokkam is usually accompanied with a wide range of side dishes that are supposed to enhance the aroma and the taste of the main dish. In some cases, in my experience the bland, cool or dry side dishes act as a tongue and palate saviour. The side dishes include ham omlette which is completely bland, a cool tangy leafy soup to cool the effect of the hot, spicy pork, sea weeds known as 'kimm', yellow soy bean soup and the dish ends with another cooling rice stew.

My favourite place for ‘che-yook pokkam’ was a nearby eating place around the campus in the city where I used to live, Daejeon. There was this tiny eating joint called 'Miru-Namu-Jib' (trans. Miru-Tree-House Restaurant) that served the best che-yook ever. The aroma that filled that place was mouth-watering. The days we went there to have lunch and had skipped breakfast due to an early class, the wait after ordering was excruciating. The aroma made our stomach's grumble loud enough for the ajuma to hear in the kitchen. In Korean everyone calls married ladies 'ajuma'. That's the replacement for 'aunty'. This lady cooked the most amazing food. The meat was minced, marinated to perfection. The pork was soft enough to melt in your mouth with the sauces tingling the taste buds, you could actually feel the juices flowing out of the meat as you slowly sink your teeth in it as you chew. meat was cooked just well enough, not to become mashed and unrecognizable but to melt in your mouth with ease. The gravy was blended with perfection to a golden rust colour with a reddish tinge in it. And she served it piping hot, just out of the boiling pan.

Most Indians travelling or studying in South Korea complain about the food. They find it difficult to adjust with the different aroma, way of preparation and most importantly the ample use of meat in every dish. I personally feel I am lucky to have adapted so well. I loved exploring so many different types of Korean delicacies. It gave me an opportunity to know the country well and the people even better. I was the only Indian eating 'che-yuk pokkam' regularly at the Miru-Tree-House Restaurant almost every weekend. The only problem was that they serve only for two people or more, one order has to be for at least two people, that is how they serve the quantity of the dish. So unfortunately, I could not go there to eat alone, but always had to look for a companion. The desire to eat this was so strong that I actually had to bear some of the worst companions in order to eat 'che-yuk pokkam' at Miru-Namu-Jib, but who's complaining. It was totally worth it.

Devdas and Saawariya- Stories of Unrequited Love

Recently, I happened to come across two of the most beautiful love stories in history of Indian cinema- Devdas(2002) and Saawariya(2007). And decided to analyse the fine thread of unrequited love that runs common in both these films. Both made by the brilliant Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Devdas is the story of the quintessential lover who pines for his love and takes to drinking alcohol to ease his pain. Saawariya is the story of a young boy in love whose first love remains unrequited.

Both stories are about men who lose their love to either factors- situation or person. Devdas has been defined in history as the epitome of love. The film is based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novella Devdas. This is the third Bollywood (Hindi) version and the first colour film version of the story in Hindi. Dev is a boy who belongs to the zamindar family in Calcutta in the pre-independence era. He was sent to London to study during that time. His father was a lawyer who decided to discipline his son by keeping him away from his pampering mother and a wasteful life, full of luxuries and indulgences. After he returns to his home after finishing his studies he gets reunited with his childhood love, Paro, who belongs to a lower caste and a poor family. Due to unfortunate circumstances she is married off to another man, much older and richer. Dev cannot take the pain of losing Paro and turns to Chandramukhi, the courtesan and to drinking. It is the situation of Bengal in 1900s where the zamindars ruled villages. In such a set up Dev from rich Brahmin zamindar family and Paro from middle-class Vaishnav (merchant) family cannot find social acceptance of their love. Time and place do not allow such liberties in love for Devdas. It is a social drama which ends in tragedy within the prevailing societal customs, which are largely responsible for preventing the attainment of love.

In Saawariya, the young boy who is the main character of the film, epitomizes love. It is a romantic drama based on the famous short story “White Nights” by the exceedingly acclaimed Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky. “White Nights” is a beautiful and a poignant story that encompasses the ideas of love, dreams, loneliness, expectations, desires and memories.Raj is the true loverboy after one's own heart. His character is a tribute to every simpleton lover boy Raj Kapoor ever played in Hindi cinema. Raj who is 'saawariya' loses his love to another older man, who is the girl's first love, and for whom she was waiting when she met him.

The beauty of Saawariya lies in its abstractness. The character of the protagonist called lovingly 'saawariya' or lover boy, is open to interpretation. He is first introduced by the narrator, Rani Mukherjee, who plays a prostitute in the movie. He is the boy of her dreams, her imagination creates him and brings him to life. Or is he the innocent boy who comes to her life bringing with him his story of love. Is he real or is he a figment of her imagination? Is it the story of that prostitute's unrequited love that she laments through this narration? Is Raj's wait for love, her own wait to find love. Woven intricately within her narrative is 'saawariya'/Raj's own love story. He falls in love with a Muslim girl, Sakeena, who is waiting for her lover to return. This love blooms from friendship and blossoms into love. Unfortunately, Sakeena's love for Raj is platonic and more for a friend, than a lover. Love in Saawariya is unrequited and one-sided. The prostitute's love for Raj, Raj's love for Sakeena and Sakeena's wait for her lover. Only Sakeena gets her love, when the man of her dreams returns to her but not without a long and uncertain wait. The entire movie is set in the shades of blue. The mood for love is sad and blue, not vibrant, romantic red. It is love in pining, loneliness, suffering and sacrifice that is best portrayed in this movie.

It is unrequited love that binds both the films, Devdas and Saawariya together. Love is not always about possessing, binding or conditionally gaining. Time, place or spaces are unimportant when it comes to Saawariya because events in love hold more importance. In Devdas, it is historical time, place and cultural spaces that lead to certain unfortunate events and misunderstandings that lead to loss of love. Both films are unique and heart-felt examples of love in Indian cinema.

Friend, Boyfriend or 'Fuck'-buddy??

My group of friends consist of school friends from class 2nd onwards. The group mainly consists of guys who despite what everyone says are the most adorable friends in the world. Some could call our circle of friends dysfunctional set of morons, but only because they are not a part of it. We have shared the most wonderful times of our lives together and have shred tears of break-up with Old Monk. Like any guy of this age, they are commitment phobic and can take the concept of love to a new level with their innovative techniques of evading engagement. Clearly they are not perfect and have issues they have been trying to work on.

But having them as my friends, I have always depended on them when in crisis. But what bonds our relationship? Is love for a friend different from a love for a boyfriend. If so, then which one to choose? Can they co-exist in harmony balancing both relationships? Or can one person hold the key to both these forms of love? How does one decide- Friend or Boyfriend?

At what point does friendship give way to 'more' than just friends? Recently, I came across a very revolutionary and disturbing term called 'friends with benefits', not so politely referred to as 'fuck-buddies'. It is an urban dictionary term that can be defined as they are 'friends' (but) who have sex. Sexual benefits comes without responsibilities under this tag. No commitment, no questions, only gratification at its best. This works best in situations where one cannot afford to have a 'serious' relationship. The reason for which could be varied, one just had a bad break-up, his/her career does not allow time and space for such a responsibility or just for fun. The rules for such a relationship is that it has no rules. One can have a 'fuck-buddy', yet date another person of the opposite sex. One can hang-out as buddies, talk, share jokes, travel, eat, drink and added to that sleep with each other. Without any commitments, expectations or future plans.It is a term used for sexual partners who regularly engage in sexual activites with each other, but do not share the usual emotional attachment of a standard boyfriend/girlfriend relationship (or boyfriend/boyfriend, or girlfriend/girlfriend, etc. etc.). Often used to describe two people who use each other solely for sexual gratification and nothing else. Usually this is a sexual relationship that still allows for each partner to seek sexual and emotional relationships with other people (hence, no attachments) but can rely on each other for a quickie or booty call. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fuck%20buddies)

Apparently according to this website there are 'buy fuck buddy magnets, t-shirts and mugs', which are a popular option for many such people. There is also a site that 'advices' how to be 'fuck buddies without complications'. The advantages listed for such a relationship, if at all it can be termed as one, is that it avoids the formalities like buying gifts on Valentine's Day, wishing on birthdays or going on formal dates or the pressure of meeting parents or formalizing into, god forbid..... marriage!!

(http://www.thesite.org/sexandrelationships/singles/singlelife/fuckbuddies)

In such a tumultuous scenario, how does one define a relationship. The need to define a relationship is necessary because as human beings we have the freedom of choice. We cannot choose our family, but we can choose our acquaintances and paramours. Every choice comes with a responsibility, trust comes with faith that one friend will not tell his/her secrets to other. It is ones responsibility to maintain that trust. Every definition has a set of expectations, if someone is my friend, I shall not break his trust, if he is in trouble I will help him, if he is calling up at wee hours, I will be there for him, in return I will expect the same amount of reliability on him as my friend. Hence it becomes imperative to set boundaries for a relationship for it to exist and sustain.

Sexual relations with a mate/partner/companion is an acceptable norm for evolution. The traditional assumption of sex is to continue a lineage long after we are gone. It is mankind's attempt to challenge death through procreation. As humans we can have sex just for pleasure. To what extent do we use or misuse this right is upon us. Using a relation like friendship for sexual benefits is defiling it and making it a commodity for selfish recreation. It is like using a tissue paper, you keep it in your hand till you need it, then wipe it, crumple it and discard it. As long as they have a purpose to fulfill they are friends, but after a certain period of time one meets someone new or simply decides to move on, he/she is abandoned, without any rights, without shouldering the responsibility of his/her hurt caused by ones own selfishness.

For me my friends, irrespective of their gender, IQ, colour, sexual orientation and other factors are more than tissue papers. They are my balance sheets. They keep a track of my life with my ups and downs and make my troubles their own. They support me, love me and need be, fight for me. They are the pillars on which we can depend for life. For me, personally, if ever I have sex with a friend, it will be for reasons other than selfish carnal needs. Sex takes a relationship to a new and different level. Sharing secrets make friends come closer, when in primary school the person who knows your deepest secrets become your best friends, that same thought works here, the friend who shares your deepest desires becomes more special. He is to be cherished loved and to be given a dignified place in life. Friends are not for use, buddies are special, they are for life, if you know how to keep them.

Rajasthan

I love to travel. Recently, I went to one of the most beautiful places in India- Rajasthan. My dream to see the sun setting among the sand dunes in Jaisalmer finally came true. People travel for two reasons- to gather information or to gather experiences. My purpose of travelling is to find those nitty-gritty details that make the place a thriving city. My personal experiences are what makes a trip worthwhile for me.

In my trip to Rajasthan the most remarkable experience for me was the walk in the Jaisalmer City. The Jaisalmer fort city is the only fort city in the world where people are actually living even today. The main fort has been renovated into a museum, but outside that there are those tiny gullies that snake their way into people's home cum shops. Time seems to stand still as we explore the city on foot. It seems that we have travelled through time, as we stand watching the people who live there, walk about in their daily routine ignoring our presence. We were clearly the outsiders who were the denim clad, goggles wearing, camera clicking tourists, who did not belong there. As we walk in the tiny by lanes of the 3km spread city, we see the beautiful yellow limestones carved into intricate designs everywhere. It seems that the stone was no challenge to them, it has been carved with the detail and finery and ease of cutting wood. Every woman is dressed in the most colourful attires imaginable. Fiery red combined with bottle green, magenta pink with electric blue, hues of yellow with every shade imaginable of orange and maroon are displayed in the background of the pale golden yellow limestone city walls. The city streets thrive with rhythm of life as women continue their daily chores and children continue being children as they run around everywhere. Spotting a camel resting around the corner is just another common site in the city.

The city thrives mainly on tourism. Perhaps that could be one reason for it to struggle to remain as it was in order to attract the tourists to the mysterious orient, the colourful India. The roads are flooded with foreigners from all over the world eager to be enchanted by the colourful and incredible India, where people still travel on elephants and camels. Where cows are animals of worship not meat with high protein value. Where the cow dung from the same cows on the streets beside a sweet shop selling freshly fried samosas is not considered unhygienic but simply ignored as a common phenomenon. Where women are dressed in bright, colourful skirts and wear silver jewellery all the time. In such a scenario, when the awestruck 'firangs' spot Indians like us who dress pretty much like themselves and have the same Canon camera and can speak English with same fluency, it leaves them totally confused and shocked. It is a cultural shock for them to see people of the same nation with such diversity co-exist in the same timeline.

For girls, the things to shop for there would be the beautiful anklets available at the fort entrance. The heaviest pair that I bought was for rs.100 only. The lighter ones made of beads are priced around rs.40 or less. But the bottom line is, it all depends on your bargaining skills. Another thing you could try out is the spicy, tangy, delicious mirchi vada. Mirchi vada is a hollow green chilly covered with spicy potato paste, dipped in besan and deep fried. The best ones are found in Jodhpur, but the ones we had in Jaisalmer were not bad either.

Another breath taking experience that was my dream since a very long time was to see the setting sun in the sand dunes. Jaisalmer sand dunes are a spectacular sight in the setting sun. Each ray of light plays with the shadows cast on the sand dunes. With the sun touching the horizon the sand dunes seem to follow the sun. The sun goes down into the horizon like an orange ball of fire merging into the yellow sand. This mesmerizing play of colours brings alive the whole desert with light and waves of sand. What followed for us after the sunset was rolling in the cooling sand and taking pictures of every second of the sunset.

Rajasthan is a photographer's delight. It is a paradise to be explored with a camera and a fine lens. The lens of the camera or the lens of the eye, the hues, colours and dimensions of this place is a treat to relish and preserve forever.

Just About Anything and Everything

There is so much to say, where to start. I have lived a quarter of my life with an unconventional name, let's start from there. My name is a mixture of many aspirations. The meaning of my name is 'description' or to 'describe'. The Sanskrit word for which is 'varnan'. But my Bong family aspired to add a touch of ethnic authenticity and hence emerged the distorted version 'barnana' or as pronounced 'bornona'. It took me a good 7 yrs. of my life to get the pronunciation correct, so I do not blame anyone I meet who is left tongue twisted with it. My uncle aspired me to become a unique blend of description of the world but apparently forgot that it's easier to call someone with a sweet and simple name rather than a heavy, tongue twisting name. His logic was that if I have a name with 'B' I will be called among the first in the interviews and class attendances.

Another friend of mine recently observed that one's name has a huge effect on one's life and profession. Kanika observed "your name has the letter 'varn' in it and you are into linguistics that is the study of language". She believes that every person's name has an influence on his/her future, career and life. Like in my instance my name has 'varn' in it, which in Sanskrit means 'alphabet' and I have done my Phd. in Linguistics. Her name has 'kanak' in it and she is a jewellery designer. My little cousin 'Kushagro' is 10yrs. old and like his name is very sharp and intelligent, still have to wait to know how he turns out. Or my younger uncle 'Debashis' who is actually a blessing for his family as the Doctor who attempts to cure everyone. Though I won't push it too further to generalize this, as there are people with names like 'Mayawati' who have anything but empathy and humility, instead flaunt garlands of 1000rs. notes around their necks.

But in my case Kanika was bang on correct. I have done my Phd. in Linguistics, by choice or by chance not sure. I went to Korea as an exchange student and 'happened' to find a teaching job there on a student's visa and decided to make the most of it by joining the doctoral degree course. So I was teaching as I was working. Why linguistics? In my masters we were the first batch of students in Delhi Univ. with the new experimenting course work. In the new regime we were introduced to the study of linguistics and our batch collectively was hugely influenced by this one linguistics prof. who left a remarkable impression on our then impressionable minds. Thus I was hooked on to his classes and later on decided to pursue this one subject as I was freshly out of my master's course at that time. And the rest as they say is history. After graduating as the youngest Ph.d student in my university, I decided to return to India. I had couple of job offers there, but I preferred to test the waters here. I know that is ironic as people usually do the reverse.

So, what's in store for me? We will gradually find out as the story continues with its usual dose of hiccups and twists and turns. Stay put.