Thanking the least thanked

Mumbai,
11.30 pm,
Jan 1, 2020

While standing in a queue outside a clinic for the past one hour to meet the doctor for a family member's check-up got me thinking about this another queue of gentlemen with heavy bags and files waiting patiently for quite sometime for the doctor to get free. May be longer than us. Curiously I asked my father, "who were they?, they definitely don't look like patients" To which he replied, "They were pharmacists. They  pitch new vaccines and medicines to the doctors."  I was dumbstruck. I couldn't believe what doctors have to go through after their working hours. Honestly, I did not know this side of the profession.

Recently, I came across a photo of an over-worked nurse from Italy. It is beyond my imagination what the doctors and nurses would be suffering at this moment and time in their country. So thank you to the doctors, nurses, and all the hospital staff for working relentlessly.

And how often do we thank the doctors, nurses after getting cured? 

Hence I decided to write a thank you letter to all the less thanked professions whose working hours are not visible to the common man. 

Thank you to the scientists, their assistants, lab workers for coming up with new medication and vaccines to help us fight these dark times. 

Thank you to the bus drivers, the motormen, the rickshaw-walas, the taxi-drivers who are helping the sick to reach in time to the hospital. 

Thank you to the police force, who stand in the heat, the cold to direct people to the nearest hospital risking their own lives to the dust, pollution and now the virus.

Thank you to the pilot, the cabin crew for transporting people exposing and risking their own lives. 

Thank you to the bank employees, the managers helping the needy get enough cash for the treatment.

Thank you to the engineers who have come up with advanced technologies helping us run our business and services from home.

A big Thank you to sewage workers who risk their lives. Who literally go down the drain to keep our city clean. The most risked personnel.

And while I type this sitting peacefully on my couch, I cannot forget to thank my maid, who risks her own life going from one home to the other. Someone who does not have work from home.

You can thank them all, by just sitting at home right now.
Because, sitting at home is the need of the hour.

Let mother earth breathe.

Betrayals come from the closest

The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemy. 

                                                                                                 -Unknown

Why does that happen? May be you expect too much from someone, someone close? 

And what happens once you are betrayed? You lose trust. You lose respect and faith. 

Is it easy for you to re-trust the person? May be, yes. Or may be, not. Well, it does definitely take time.  It is an overwhelming emotion. 

Betrayal comes  from the closest may be because you blindly trust the person in every decision. And suddenly you stop trusting everyone after that one incident. Is it the right thing to do? May be not. Because everybody is not the same. 

Before being betrayed, you took decisions by following your heart. Whereas after betrayal, everything is thought twice before deciding. 

What could be a possible solution to this problem? Revenge is definitely not the solution.  

May be giving some time to the person who has betrayed you, at the same time taking sometime out for yourself and distancing yourself to think over what has happened. 

Careful, do not overthink ! 

Solo trip to Vietnam (Part 1)

As I uploaded a few stories and pictures on my Instagram account, I got several WH questions from my followers on my solo trip to Vietnam. 

I, then, thought of answering to all these questions through my blog post. 

Vietnam was always on my bucket list amongst all the Asian countries. And I was extremely happy to make a quick solo trip there! As I write about my solo trip, I cannot wait to plan another one. But before that, a few things you could keep in mind before planning a solo trip. 

1) Book your hotel/hostel/ Airbnb well in advance: 

During my trip, I met 2 travelers who were quite daredevils to reach the hotel and ask if there were any rooms available. However, as a first time traveler, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone! Its quite a risk when you are new to the solo trip concept and do not speak the language! 

Hence, always book your accommodation in advance. Check the reviews, ratings and comments on the site before booking. Try to choose 'pay-on-arrival' option. 

I would also recommend to live in a hostel or a home-stay as they are extremely cheap for a night and you meet so many travelers from different nations who may or may not share the same interests as you but discussions lead to discoveries.

I met these young, like-minded people on my trip and we shared some unforgettable moments. While we were about to leave and take different paths, I learnt, two of them were from my city!

                                                                               

                                                       

2) Change your currency before departing: 

Vietnam trades in Vietnamese dong (VND), however, at some touristic places it also accepts US dollars. Do not be shocked, as I was, if you pay in US dollars and you get your change in VND. You can also change it at the airport before stepping into the foreign land. Very few or no banks or tour agencies accept VND in my home country hence I had to get all my cash exchanged before coming back. Another advice, don't panic if you do not understand the local currency on the first two days of your travel. It takes time to understand and to get used to it. It took me three days to understand VND. 

3) Learn a few words in the local language: 

As I am a fluent French speaker, every time I have been to France or a Francophone nation, I never really realized what difference would it make to speak the local language until I was in Vietnam. 

I had read this recommendation somewhere, and I took it seriously. Learning a few greetings in the local language always helps. It does wonders, actually. I learnt, good morning, hello, thank you and good-bye in Vietnamese. It is a good ice-breaker. A dictionary should also work, though I haven't ever used one. 

4) Travel like a local:

The best way to sight-see is to walk or to take the local transport. Leave your luxuries behind of taxis and take a tuk-tuk or a cycle rickshaw or just walk. Google maps will take you places. Don't forget to always keep your phone on full battery before leaving for the day, if you are dependent on technology. Ask your receptionist to provide you the local map. And mark your hotel location on the map in bold.

Inadvertently, you are alert at all times. Be careful while asking directions. I made a note of asking directions to students and office goers. As they tell you the cheapest and fastest routes. 

Cycle rickshaw, a transport still in use. 

5) Eat local: 

Many prefer carrying their food while traveling. It is a big no-no. Well, a few tit-bits could be carried, eating local cuisine is another way to discover the region, country.  Here are a few pictures of what I tasted.

Pho- a vietnamese breakfast

                                            

6) Read the history of the nation:

Read a few Wikipedia pages before you leave for the trip. There are many films, web-series, documentaries on the internet that would help you understand more on the history of the nation and you wouldn't feel lost while visiting museums. I read a few articles on Vietnamese war which made my understanding easier and better on visiting the Remnants War museum. 

7) Off-beat destinations:

While you should tick-off 'top 10 places to visit' from your list, it is also advised to take a few unexplored paths. You may stumble-upon things that may be a local may not have discovered, observed while walking. Those by-lanes tell the best stories of the city.

8) Travel light: 

I barely carried two pair of jeans and 4 pair of tee-shirts and a dress on my trip. Wash and repeat would be my advice. Who knows you there anyway! Also, take the quote 'when in Rome...' seriously. Check on the weather conditions before leaving. It was extremely hot and humid in Vietnam while I was there. Hence, I carried all cottons. 

9) Uploading pictures: 

We all are connected to all premier social media channels and all accounts are linked to one another. We have a known and unknown followers. Uploading pictures of your live location might invite trouble. I chose to share pictures after I was back.

10) Confidence and independence: 

Solo-trip does make you confident and independent. On the first day, I had a mental break-down, I couldn't find my location. I was tired, sweating, in need of water. Neither the bus conductor nor the driver spoke English, I was struggling to my worse nightmares and I was about to give up when I just pushed myself and thought to give it a last try. A young student who spoke English helped me out and walked along with me and directed me to my location. We had a pleasant chat and he was surprised to know that I wasn't a student and that I was a teacher. Not just him, many were shocked to know that. Haha ! Boosts my confidence even higher.  

This was just the first part of my trip. I shall soon write about experiences, a few do's and don'ts in Vietnam and if anything else you want me to write about. Do comment and feel free to ask me questions. 

The Little Things of life

Little Things, a mini web series produced by Dice Media Productions. This post may reveal a few intricacies and may give out spoilers of the show. You can find Season 1 on Youtube and Season 2 on Netflix.

Little Things is a story of a couple Dhruv Vats (Dhruv Sehgal) and Kavya Kulkarni (Mithila Palkar)  who are in a live-in relationship. The first season of this web series focuses more on the fun the couple has together. From enjoying a lavish american breakfast to simple roadside corn bhajjis, from a friend's organised taboo night to an emotional movie together. From freaking out on losing a earring gifted by her boyfriend to planning on which sari to wear that will go with the nath (a nose ring-an Indian ornament). The first season ends on  a very mature note with the couple discussing their career plans in the middle of a vineyard. 

The second season that released this year is more evolved. The evolution is witnessed not only in the couple and their relationship but also in the script, the dialogues, the chemistry and the direction.

Season 2 speaks about their journey together like taking career decisions for each other or taking a trip together or awkward moments with  Kavya's mother-in-law.

I made a note of all The Little Things that I enjoyed from the second season:

In the first episode named 'Milk cake', Dhruv welcomes his friend, Sandeep from Delhi. Sandeep brings along with him sweets from Dhruv's favourite mithaiwala (sweet shop). While it is highly possible that one may forget to buy vegetables or milk for the house but one never forgets the likes and dislikes of their childhood friend. This is one of the many 'Little Things' that this show has successfully encapsulated.

The second little thing the show subtly highlights is 'Pajamas'. Whenever one visits their relatives' or friend's place one definitely tends to forget their pajamas or their toothbrush. It is the same situation with Sandeep who requests Dhruv to lend him his pajama for the night. Loved how they integrated this part in this episode.

My favourite dialogue from the first episode is the explanation that Kavya gives to Dhruv on how old friends matter at any time in life even if you aren't constantly in touch with them. She says, 'While everything around you is changing, you will be happy to know that there are a few things that remain constant (like childhood friends). And it is important because these constants are comforting'.

I couldn't agree more.

When I say the second season is more evolved, the second episode, 'Back Seat' justifies that. While it starts on a happier note on Kavya getting promoted, it ends on a bitter note on Dhruv revealing to Kavya of he getting fired from his job.

The Little Thing I enjoyed here is the moment the director shifts from Dhruv's dream to his reality of confessing his job situation. The director shows the change wisely by just a simple vehicle horn.

The third episode titled 'Cheeti aur haathi' beautifully puts forth and resolves Dhruv's dilemma of a wrongdoing. It is again resolved by Kavya through a small morally accepted story that she narrates to her maid's son through which Dhruv immediately understands his error and corrects it.

The maid, even though plays a minor role in the series is the ideal maid found in every Indian household who will always remind you of getting back the forgotten lunchbox at office or eating almonds before going to work.

Moving on to the fourth episode, 'Mumbai Darshan' embraces the son-in-law and mother-in-law relationship. Dhruv and Kavya's mother spend an entire day touring around the city of Mumbai. The scenes in this episode couldn't get more awkward for both of them. At the end of the episode both of them bid goodbye to her mother. As a typical mother, Kavya's mom gifts a sari to her maid. Before leaving, her mother, too reminds Kavya of all the little things she has kept in the kitchen for both of them, like dry fruits.

It couldn't get more real in the fifth episode, 'Leicester City F.C'. Every relationship goes through ups and downs and every person in a relationship starts questioning their togetherness. It is no novel for Kavya and Dhruv. Kavya is in a dilemma, she questions herself, if she deserved Dhruv as a her partner, which is natural but, Dhruv, although jealous, answers the question tactfully and gives her an appropriate reason to her feelings. He says, 'Trying to make the best out of what you have is what everything is about'.

How true is this? Not everything is going to be perfect in life but making the best out of it may lead you to happiness and perfection.

I loved how the episode ends in a funny way, Kavya asking Dhruv to get water before going to bed. Who doesn't do this? Everybody is lazy and needs water just when they get comfortable.

And we arrive to my most favorite episode of this entire series, 'Bed & Breakfast'.

Being a Mumbaikar, without a doubt, Bed & Breakfast is an episode I could relate to the most. It is really annoying when one falls sick on a Sunday. Because it is the only day when one can relax and calm down from the monotony. He advises her to take a pill (crocin) for her cold. A universal pill that works for any illness.

I adored how Dhruv pampers Kavya by presenting her a nice, bloomed Hibiscus flower on her breakfast plate since her breakfast plate is boring (just toasted bread). A quick glance at all the other things I enjoyed from Bed & Breakfast (B&B): the time they take to decide on which movie to watch, the competitiveness and the enjoyment in a geography contest between the two, his madness after his favorite team scores a last minute goal.

The direction of B&B is the part that I admired, the 'little thing' that we usually do not see in movies or any other series, when Dhruv comes out of the bathroom and wipes his hand to his pants, while Kavya is going through her old photos on her phone. This is the moment I feel, justifies the title of this series that have been wonderfully noted down and shown in the episode.

Also, the evening Azaan that reminds both of them of two different things. To quote Kavya, 'Isn't it nice how different people relate to the same thing differently?'

How true could it be?

The chemistry between the couple, even a simple kiss on the cheek doesn't feel a forced one on the show.

And the last moment when Kavya quietly keeps the crushed hibiscus in her diary. That is when I am sure all the viewers went 'aww' after watching it.

The second last episode, 'Balti aur Magga' gets as real as possible. To talk about the little things in this episode, every time we visit a hotel, the first thing that we do is connect our phones to the hotel wifi. That is exactly what Kavya does when they visit a hotel where their friend's wedding is to take place. That scene got a gentle smile on my face. How real !

Both of them go through a rough patch a little later in the episode. I agree with both the point of views that they present during their little fight. And I just couldn't take anyone's side in the fight. Their fight is ceased just by a simple door bell. How thoughtful !  

And the last episode, 'Where are we?' assesses the damage, the reconciliation between the couple takes the entire episode but ends in the same way as in the first season, they coming back to a vineyard.

The show, honestly deserves all the credit and success that it has garnered all this while.

And like the rest of them, I, myself can't wait for the next season.

The Accidental Friendship

I couldn't write about 'Happiness' and not mention this story. Being a great believer in destiny this tale is a proof of those who do not believe in serendipity.

"I was in Ronda, Spain recently. Yesterday morning I randomly crossed a guy while trekking. We exchanged smiles".

Great.

Today, he checked-in in the same hotel where I was. We again exchanged smiles.

Fantastic.

We had breakfast together. Shared our travel plans. Had a blast !  Later when he learned that I am learning spanish and I'm an Indian, he asked, "Are you Harsh Shah?"

My jaws dropped. I almost fainted wondering and trying to recollect from my short term memory, "Have I spoken to him before? Have I met him before? How does he know my name?"

I was astounded.

He said, "We have a common friend Anjor Deshpande". (Obviously me)

I said, "So you are the guy from Quebec, Canada?"

He said, "Yes, it is me ! We have exchanged some messaged in the past on for practicing Spanish"

It took us a good amount of time to realize if it was real. We laughed astonishingly seeing each other. Then a moment of silence. We laughed again.

So when a Canadian meets an Indian in some random town of Spain, without any agenda, just pure coincidence; that's the beauty of travelling.

Conclusion- Don't think much. Just pack your bags and start wandering. Travel in itself has beautiful surprises waiting for you"

It all began when I met Harsh, a good friend of mine after a long time at an art festival in the city. This young adult had been learning Spanish for the past 6 months and was expressing his urge to learn more and explore more of Spanish culture. That is when it struck me to get him in contact with my Quebecian friend, Jeremie. Soon, these two got in contact via a social networking site and started chatting in Spanish. Little did they know they would end up meeting in a small town in Spain!

Many a times I wonder, if I had never given Harsh my friend's contact  would this have ever happened? What if Harsh hadn't decided to go bag packing to Spain? What if at the art festival I hadn't ever asked Harsh about Spanish classes?

Both , Jeremie and Harsh have told me how beautiful Ronda is and why it will remain a long lasting memory for them. I have never been to Ronda but it will always hold a special place in my heart too.

To end this article I would like to quote an anonymous author,

"Travel. As far as you can, as long as you can. It is a labyrinthe fortuitous journey" 

The guy on the 7.28 am train

Nina, fashion columnist, a young girl in her early 20s took the 7.28 train everyday to work. She always exchanged smiles with her co-passengers who also boarded the same train. Be it rains, wind, or unforeseen strikes, Nina never missed her 7.28 train.   

It not just helped her reach on time but also was a great kick start to her day. She always waved at her friends, met her fellow passengers and also caught a quick glimpse of 'that guy' before the train pulled into the station. 

For several months this was her routine. 

It was love at first sight for Nina. 

Being shy, she always wondered how to approach him. She never understood how easy was it for her other female friends to approach men. 

He always stood with a bunch of his friends, hence it became harder for her to approach him. She asked her female friends and they gave her tips on "How-to-start-a-conversation-with-a-guy". But every time she saw him, her heart melted and she lost all the courage she had gained through her friends.  

Its been a year since she has a crush on him. 

But she has zero knowledge on his profession, his workplace, his family, his name ! She did not know if he noticed her as much as she noticed him everyday. Even if she wanted to look out for him, she did not know how. All she knew is they both lived in the same city.
A city which she thought was small, seemed crowded and populous enough to her as she never ever bumped into him at any other place.

Nina's friends questioned her each day on the progress on her story but all in vain.

Was she ever going to approach this mysterious extremely handsome stranger?

Typically Indian...

India: a country with 1.3 billion people, with different culture, religion, language, traditions that changes in every state of this country is surely a diverse nation. Each individual, each group has its own habits. 

I made a note of few of these habits and thought to pen them down. So here are a few...

Ganpati Bappa....

I live in one of the metropolitan cities of India: Mumbai. As a Mumbaikar (habitant of Mumbai) it is very common to take the local train every morning to work. The train carries thousands of people to work on it's every single trip. If you have an eye of an observer, this is the best place you'll have material to write on. After I board the train every morning for work, at the next stop is a temple adjacent to the station. A group of men on this local pray to the elephant god by shouting at the top of their voice, "Ganpati Bappa..." and the rest of the local train completing their sentence with "Morya!" 

Now in India, you stand in the middle of the street and shout "Ganpati Bappa", rest assure because you are going to get "Morya" back. Or you shout "Jo bole so nihal.." you will hear "sat sri akal"  

There is this one other ritual I find peculiar that only Indians follow, I believe. Before taking a long trip, we again pray to god at the top of our voice, just so that our ride ahead is smooth. Or may be we don't trust the driver.  

At the end of the day I think Indians are true believers of god. 

Keys...

We love sharing everything with our neighbors. What I love about our country is we know who are our neighbors. We interact with them on a daily basis. We share our happiness and sorrows with them. We also trust them blindly. I don't think anywhere outside India does any family give their house keys to their neighbors. Usually people hide their spare keys either in their garden or behind the letterbox. But Indians give their house keys to their neighbors. Just in case you have forgotten your keys, you knock at your neighbor's door and there you are they will hand you your spare keys. Or if you live abroad and own a house in India,  usually the keys to your house will be with the neighbors. 

Food...

Each state has it's own staple food with ample of assortments on the plate to choose from. If you're a guest to any Indian household, you'll never walk home without eating anything. You at least have a cup of tea. If you are an invitee for lunch or dinner you eat more than required. In India, when you are at the dining table and when you are about to finish with your meal, your host will ask you if you would want to have more, which is quite normal anywhere in the world. But as a guest you do not say yes immediately to that question, you wait for them to ask you once again and then you could say yes or no as per your wish. 'Agraha' as Maharashtrians call it.  

Now you know what to do the next time you're in India and hosted by an Indian family ! 

Tuesdays and Saturdays...

Coming back to god and food, each Indian god has his own day. And each Indian family has their "family god".  As per the days we decide what food to eat. Few Indians choose not to eat chicken on Tuesdays and Saturdays because it is their "family god's day". My family prefers not eating eggs on Saturdays. 

I don't see any logic to it but well that is how it works here... 

The list is just endless. But we are who we are. And we love what we do.  

P.S: I wrote this article after having observed people for quite a few months now and noting down their habits.  

Inhaling the Roads- Book review

The book, "Inhaling the Roads" by Harsh Shah is nothing but a delight to read at any given point. Before I give you my review on it, here is the summary of the book. 

Everybody chooses to fly high these days or taking a road trip is not extraordinary anymore. But how many of us have dreamed of taking a cycle ride to see the world? 

Harsh Shah, a commerce and Spanish language professor, an amateur cyclist narrates his ride from Mumbai to Kanyakumari. He gives us a fascinating insight of his journey on National Highway 66. The story takes us through all the disquietude and excitement from the very first day of his ride to the feeling of accomplishment & satisfaction on the last day after reaching the southern tip of India. 

He begins this 14 day adventurous journey from Mumbai and narrates to us his ups and down every time making us smile after finding an accommodation to live for the night and leaving his readers teary eyed after slipping and falling in the woods. He recites to us his aspiration to redeem, gain confidence in  himself by not only testing his physical but mental abilities too. 

Harsh rides us through the coastal region of India via this book: from the change in the language & the food of the locals to the highways, the rocky roads, the countryside, the scenic, tranquil view of virgin beaches of the western coast and his final destination. 

"A bicycle rider that belonged to a

native of Gujarat, born in Karnataka, brought up in

Mumbai, about to enter Goa in few hours, has

lunch at a Rajasthani restaurant that serves Punjabi

food– Time and again, I had, indeed, felt proud of

being a citizen of such a diverse nation". 

(This excerpt from the book made me laugh the most and also made me feel proud of being an Indian). 

The last 500 km of his journey surely pumps the adrenaline rush in you and doesn't make you want to keep this book down until you reach the end of his journey. It is a light read that inspires you to get up and buy a bicycle and get going on your own personal ride. 

Harsh plans on cycling this year to the northern tip of India : Mumbai- Jammu.    

When marriage changed everything : a sister's perspective

Marriage is a huge gamble in India, especially arrange marriages. 

As the saying goes, "Marriages are made in heaven" well, my brother's was made on a "marital site".  

I write this article six months after my brother got married. 

He found his "love" on a marital website. Still astonishes me, but I am happy if he is happy! (Cliche no. 1)

The entire world except for India remains curious on how arrange marriages work. How do we marry and start living with our spouse without knowing them. Probably that is the beauty of an arrange marriage, you fall in love later. 

But what a gamble !

It is also true that, In India not two people but two families get married. (Cliche no. 2)

Here we were, six months before we welcomed the daughter-in-law of the house. And so began the adjustments in the house. 

Change no. 1: In a family of four, where we were habituated to take 4 plates                                          at the dinner table, or our car was used to accommodating four members                             now it had to get used to 5. A family of four became a family of five.   

According to Hara Estroff Marano in the magazine "Psychology Today", siblings are generally present before the formation of friendships and beyond lives of parents. Like each brother-sister, our relationship was the same. 

But soon this relationship started changing over a period of time, I started missing my brother.  Even though we all live together, I miss spending time with him as a sister.  

Change no. 2: My father, my brother and I are big fanatics of football and tennis.
                       We three are used  to pulling up all nighters to watch matches.
                        But soon this changed as my sister-in-law arrived.
                          We were used to cheering and celebrating our team's victory at night,
                    now it is either my father and I or just myself at night watching the match.
                     I miss our hi-5s. I miss having sports conversations with him.

Change no. 3: It was also slightly difficult to accept the fact that he has his own new                                 family apart from us when he went on a vacation with his in-laws this year.                    We have been going on for vacation together for the past 25 years and suddenly                    one day he flies away with someone else. Slightly weird !

Again let me tell you I am not unhappy but it is just another aspect of brother- sister relationship that I am discovering along with him.  I don't think my brother has realized the change yet.

I don't blame him or anyone. The couple has to be together too. Newly-weds after-all.

I wish my brother and his wife a very happy and successful married life !

Why should youngsters stick to their traditions?

Before I begin to reason out "Why should youngsters stick to their traditions?" let's have a look at the survey I took a few weeks ago on "Indian traditions and youth".  

My first question on the questionnaire was to know if people understood what did tradition mean. 

While some answered that "Traditions are something that we have kept faith in for centuries", They are our "yesterday's action that we follow today", others commented, "Its a simple idea made by humans for humans". 

According to the Oxford dictionary, "Tradition is transmission of customs and beliefs from one generation to another". And culture "The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. i.e folk music,  cinema, dance etc." which is close to a few definitions specified by people. 

My next question was "If they followed any Indian traditions? Which ones and why? " 

75% of them followed Indian traditions because they liked and believed in them and not because they are forced by their parents or the society. Women follow traditions like wearing a toe ring or vermilion on forehead after marriage. And young ones like touching feet of their elders. 

My next question was "Do you believe today's youth follows traditions?' 

37.5% of respondents are of the opinion that today's youth do not follow traditions. 

Voila ! This leads to my captioned title, "Why should youngsters stick to their traditions?"

In this fast-paced, rational thinking world, where western people are turning towards India for peace, Indian youngsters are highly influenced by the West. With modernization, youngsters are slowly forgetting their roots and adapting to a new lifestyle. While one should walk with modern times, one shouldn't forget their origins. Traditions are a part of one's identity.  

If traditions are customs and beliefs that we pass on from one generation to another then are grand-parents and parents to blamed for not teaching their grand-kids their customs? Or do we blame Westernization and the changing times? 

According to the survey, 40% of the youth do not follow traditions is because "they find it a waste of time and do not have faith in it" or "they look out for logic and reasoning" or "they are unaware about the reasons and meaning behind the traditions."  

Therefore I take this opportunity to tell my viewers what will happen if we forget our traditions.

But first let's have a look at a few Indian traditions that do have "logic" and "reasoning" even in the 21st century.

Namaskara

One of the simplest and everyday examples from the Indian traditions would be the "Namaste" or "Namaskara". It is one of the five forms mentioned in the Hindu scriptures to greet someone. The joining of the hands mean, "I bow to you" or "May our minds meet".
It is also demonstrates avoidance of physical contact with the other person. Thus a person coming from outside, (for instance: from work) brings germs along with him. Where an immediate physical contact like, a handshake might transfer these germs, a Namaste would avoid them.



The second example that I would like to acknowledge is "Eating with hands". It is no mystery that Indians eat with their hands. But the logic still remains incomprehensible to me when youngsters today eat with a spoon when in restaurant. For example, a Dosa. Dosa, a flat pancake made from fermented rice flour is supposed to be eaten with hands. Unfortunately, one suddenly turns sophisticated in a restaurant but enjoys relishing it with hands at the fullest when at home. According to the Vedic traditions, one is supposed to eat with hands because, before starting to eat one can enjoy the smell, the texture and the colour of the food. These senses preludes the ignition of fire in our body that helps in digestion, informing the brain to ready itself for the digestive process.

Like I mentioned earlier, women used to apply "Sindoor" or "Vermillion" on their forehead. But modern women of the 21st century find it illogical and carry "it-doesn't-go-with-my-skirt" attitude. The logic behind wearing a sindoor on your forehead is it carries a physiological significance. Sindoor is prepared from turmeric-lime and metal-mercury. Due to its intrinsic properties, it controls your blood pressure and also activates sexual drives. 

Hindu traditions exists as long as the Hindu civilization has existed. Not following them would lead to a culture-less society. Having no festivals to celebrate, no family get-togethers to look up to. Is that what we want? If we find a ritual meaning-less, we should try to improve it, modify it but not abandon it. At the same time, we should also keep in mind if something doesn't work we can't blame it on our traditions and beliefs. Our ancestors were not fools, nor were our grand-parents, nor are our parents who have been following these traditions. 

It made sense then, it makes sense now. Hence, following them and passing them on to our successors by explaining to them the right logic is all we must do. 

Food Revolution in the city !

Thane has slowly been gaining a reputation of serving not just Indian food but also intercontinental dishes. It is a so-called “Food revolution” happening in this city where Francophone is one such European bistro contributing to it.

For those who have been looking for tasting French cuisine and some Italian dishes, look no further than Francophone.  

Situated in one of the narrow lanes of Manpada, is not easy to miss. As soon as you enter the bistro, it immediately catches your eye with its well-thought interiors which makes you feel as if you are in one of the cute, little roadside café’s of France. Adding to the feel are the classic French songs that will make you groove and comfortable at the same time with seemingly welcoming patrons.   

After settling ourselves, we started off with the French classic Soupe à l’oignon (French onion soup). The soup was served with two large portions of bread in chicken stock made with onions and grated cheese. It was a remarkable soupe à l’oignon that I must have ever seen. The soup was served in a large bowl that would suffice two.  

Next on our menu was another French specialty, La quiche- a crunchy tart filled with chicken and pita bread on the side to go with it. The first bite of Quiche took me back to my vacation to Paris in France. Nothing more to say!

     

At last it was time for us to have the dessert; we tried the Chocolate Eclair. A creamy choux pastry filled with cream and topped with icing. This chocolate eclair couldn't be more chocolatier, more creamier and more softer. You cannot keep it down without having two bites at a go!  

In the end we couldn't leave a French restaurant without a bite of Macaroons! Macaroons are quite difficult to master and every pastry chef's nightmare. But not for the one who works at Francophone. Macaroons is his forte. They were crunchy, light and highly sinful. Slightly expensive but a must have at this restaurant. 

And lastly, we couldn’t give a miss to the Crème bruleé- light but rich custard base, topped with contrasting layer of hard caramel. Here, the chef gave his own touch by serving well diced mango pieces. It is one crème bruleé to die for! 

Though I would like to be a little selfish and keep Francophone all to myself, the polite, always happy and customer- concerned staff, the chef’s specialties and the bistro’s ambiance with a quick service is too good to stay hidden from foodies. There is no doubt that a table at this European eatery will become the fastest reserved one amongst all the eating places in Thane!