February 14th

Valentines day is just a week ahead. People are busy buying gifts and surprising their loved ones. But the question is do we need to celebrate valentines day? Most of the Hindu religious groups oppose it, in fact they forcibly makes the guy tie knot to his girl friend on that day if seen in any park or public place. Is that correct?

Whatever, people never give up, show their love different ways. I have a small story of a true lover...

There was a girl with all the dreams about her dream boy. She dreams day and night about him. Accidentally, she meets a guy who is quite opposite to the qualities of his dream boy. She falls in love with him; the guy observes the girl's affection towards him, he tries to keep away from her and treats her as a friend, JUST FRIEND! on the other hand the girl never express her love, though everyone knows she loves him. She is confident that one or the other day the guy feel her love. The girl is very calm and of course innocent person. Never expects anything from her love, just keeps on loving him and loving him...

Does her love succeeds...?

entered into 2012

Have lot of memories in 2011 in my life, mainly, virtual classroom went live for the first time at Gandeed on 28th December, 2011.

[screen shot]

It's a great achievement though delayed. My first experience with Gandeed Z.P.H.S. is indeed unforgettable. Pupils are very innocent, even though they can't communicate in English they are trying to speak with help of their teachers. My God! each class strength exceeds 60, can't imagine how they are accommodating in that small computer room. But one thing, I can read their faces they are enjoying virtual class teaching. Govt had started success schools in all the govt schools throughout the state to lure the pupils and get in more enrollment. That's a good decision though.

Well, have so many targets in this year.

My next target is to install virtual classroom in Doma mandal. Hope everything goes well.

Virtual classroom 2

After so many hurdles, delays, finally deployed virtual classroom set up at Zilla Parishad High School, Gandeed. This is my first project. Feeling not very proud because this should have been done last year itself. Anyways could do it at least this academic year.

Journey to Gandeed

Started from Hyderabad exactly at 9.33am with Purpletalk volunteers - Josef, Khaleel and Vinodram and EFF teacher Sudha and of course I. Traffic in the city made us go with < 40Km speed; halted at signal and some junctions, it took 45minutes to cross the city.

Entered NH-7; wide and awesome road, one can enjoy the ride on this highway. You just fall in love to travel on a rainy day.

Cheered up our volunteers with full energy to do a noble cause.

Empty stomach journey is not good, searching for dhabas on NH-7, "this is not good", "it's too yuck", "that is good" suggestions on dhabas; couldn't withstand my hungry, halted at Baba Dhaba

waiting for the order, yeah! I got my Idly! waiting for rest of the order...

Masala Dosa and Idly then tea was our breakfast. Quality was ok, but quantity of masala in dosa is less :< We adjusted it with chutney and sambar. Geared up and never seen back till Gandeed.

I must thank Khaleel for directing the route to the driver. Though he came once could remember all the turnings and landmarks. I am very poor in that, eventhough this is my third visit to Gandeed couldn't able to remember anything [except a temple and railway track in front]

Reached Gandeed by 1.00pm; unloaded the vehicle, ourselves didn't make the children to carry the things. Started our work right away. However, I was confused where to start from...

First and important thing is internet...connected our computer to India's biggest network BSNL, AE Mr.Sudharshan has configured the ip. I was amazed to see the speed, and that too in the village. Bandwidth is enough to run our application. Tested the app with our colleagues at office

Thank God! everything is working - mics, speakers, web cam, conferencing.

Selected a place to hang the projector. The ceiling is covered with thermocol, that's an asset for us, as it reduces echo to some extent.

At last fixed the projector in the right position.

Oops! power cut, 2pm to 6pm...oh! we had to make holes in the wall to mount the screen. Did it manually, as power is not there to use drilling machine.

Lunch break...school management provided lunch from near by hotel.

Rice was hot wrapped in a leaf plate, though the quantity is less, quality of the food is good, didn't feel heavy after eating. But the only thing I don't like is packing the curries in plastic covers. Our volunteers relaxed few minutes in the school campus taking snaps here and there...

We had lot of fun :) Playing jokes and making fun of each other...

After setting up everything we had to wait for more than an hour for power. Need to test our application. Fortunately, power got before 6pm. Our faced lighted with joy. Switched on everything to test; Ouch! huge power fluctuations, dropping below 150 amps. UPS guy sweating to sort it out. Some how everything got switched on...started testing the application software with one of our colleague at office. Everything worked well. My face cheered up.

A group photo after setting everything. Though the faces were sweating, never fade our smiles :)

Hip hip hooray!!!

Anger

Anger makes man animal. Anger is the root cause of all miseries. Anger is the powerful tool than a missile. Anger is the cruncher of happiness. Anger Anger Anger... why am talking about anger, coz i am very much angry since yesterday...if your beloved ones promises you to meet and fails to fulfill then how would you feel? exactly I am facing damn damn anger... :X My mind is totally not working.

My mind is saying it's not correct to be anger for a silly reason but my heart is saying to be in that mood, not to go anywhere, don't talk to anyone, be dull and increase your anger...

What's wrong with me, being a teacher I should counsel my children but here I am becoming a victim of anger...grrrrrrr!

I read some pages on "how to overcome mental tension" even though my anger didn't cool. What is the remedy for this condition? Controlling our senses especially anger is quite not possible. In anger we hate ourselves, we can see only failures when close eyes, wonders whom to blame for the condition, want to shed boiling tears, break things [which are breakable :P]

And please don't tell me philosophy about anger, that it can be turned into positive reinforcement to accomplish our task...no no no...me a human being not saint or jogini.

Food habits

Yesterday while browsing I happened to read about Jains. I was shocked to see their food habits...here are some, have a look

JAINS ARE VEGETARIANS.

WE EAT VEGETABLES, SQUASH, BEANS, PEAS, TOMATOES, FRUITS, AND LETTUCE.

JAINS DO NOT EAT STEAK, HAMBURGERS, HOT DOGS, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF MEAT.

JAINS ALSO DO NOT EAT CHICKEN, EGGS, TURKEYS, OR ANY POULTRY ITEMS.

JAINS ALSO DO NOT EAT FISH, LOBSTERS, OYSTERS, OR ANY KIND OF SEAFOOD.

JAINS RESPECT EVERY LIFE.

JAINS AVOID FOOD PRODUCTS WHICH INVOLVE INJURY TO ANY LIFE.

JAINS TRY TO MINIMIZE VIOLENCE EVEN TO PLANTS;

THEREFORE, JAINS AVOID EATING ROOT VEGETABLES, SUCH AS ONIONS, GARLIC, BEETS, CARROTS, AND POTATOES.

JAINS ALSO SHOULD NOT DRINK BEER, WINE, LIQUOR, WHISKEY, OR ANY KIND OF ALCOHOL.

JAINS SHOULD NOT WASTE ANY FOOD.

JAINS OFFER FOOD TO POOR PEOPLE.

JAINS FAST ON CERTAIN RELIGIOUS DAYS.

JAINS PREFER TO DRINK BOILED WATER.

JAINS DON'T TO EAT AFTER SUNSET AND BEFORE SUNRISE.

Yes No

I really appreciate their love for Plants... JAINS AVOID EATING ROOT VEGETABLES, SUCH AS ONIONS, GARLIC, BEETS, CARROTS, AND POTATOES in order not to kill a plant by uprooting it...

There are 3 types of food

1. Sattvic Food
   Sattvic foods keeps the body in a peaceful state, calms mind, enable our mind to function at full potential. Fresh fruit, fruit juices, vegetables, cereals, whole-grains, legumes,/lentils, milk,,nuts and seeds are sattvic foods.
2. Rajasic Food
   Rajas foods are very hot, bitter, sour, dry or salty. These foods are stimulating and destructive to mind-body equilibrium, making the mind restless and uncontrollable. Very hot spices, herbs, coffee, tea, fish, eggs, salt and chocolate falls under this category.
3. Tamasic Food
   Tamasic foods are destructive to the mind and body, making a person angry and greed. They destroy the body?s resistance to disease. Meat, alcohol, tobacco, fermented foods, overripe foods are tamasic foods.

Jains consume Sattvic food.

Hope all the Jains follow this food habits...it is not just a custom, in turn it helps them to keep in good health on a long run.

"Live and Let Live"Jains slogan

Festivals in Childhood

Childhood days are really awesome. I used to enjoy every festival. I am wondering why do our mind set changes when we grow up. Ganesh Nimarjjan was the most enjoyable day...was eagerly waiting at the station road to send off the ganeshas; the processions were variety with all kinda dances, music, and all...and yummy prasadams:)

This was the story of my childhood, yesterday when I went to see the ganeshas going for nimarjjan I was not enjoying the procession any more. I am thinking of the water pollution with these idols immersion. I was totally sank when I saw a big ganesha couldn't able to cross the road coz of a tree. The tree is totally spread on the road like a mushroom; The Ganesha idol is too tall to cross the tree, people tried to cut off its branches, my heart beating fastly...I cannot see people chopping the trees...by virtue they couldn't do so. The ganesha idol reversed back. Thank god :> the tree is safe.

Is homosexuality a sin?

I have strongly decided to make good preparation for the coming term-end exams. Started my day with one of my paper 'Adolescents and family education'. There is a topic "some concerns of adolescents" - Homosexuality. I wonder every time when I hear the word homosexuality, I dare not to ask any one regarding it, living in a country like India we hardly find people who discuss it openly. But I always want to know exactly what it is. If my students ask me, I should not be paused and say its a bad word without full knowledge.

Luckily we have that topic in our syllabus, I started google the topic; Well, actual meaning of homosexuality is sexual attraction between same sex. Homosexuality begins at the behavior or fantasy level. In homosexuals men are called gay and woman are called lesbian. It's not a genetic disorder. Homosexuals are intellectually, mentally strong they can challenge any one. There is no precise explanation about why people turn homosexual. However, many religions condemn this act; they think homosexuality as a sin. For example, Ramdev Baba said "homosexuality is a disease". But many scientist and researchers say that homosexuality is not a disease.

'Homosexuality is a major concern of physical development of adolescents these days as it is increasing day to day. During this period, passionate friendship develops between the members of same sex. This kind of abnormal and unnatural sexual behavior may lead adolescents to sex related diseases and HIV/AIDS transmission. It will be better that the teachers and parents should give instructions about sex carefully and frankly.' This is the passage given in our book. Is it correct to give such a blind precautions without proper explanation of what it is!!