Hope for a Corruption Free India

Mt Ruapehu and Taupo

My first guitar lessons

It is an amzing feeling to touch my beautiful instrument and playing it gives me a different happiness.. I always wanted to learn to play an instrument either piano or guitar or a keyboard and my friend and colleague was so helpful to support me and teach me too.. He is my tutor and trust me is a great guitarist, he had his own band in South Africa.

Learning chords is not difficult but your fingers are at a risk.. you cannot afford to have long nails.. so ladies if you want to learn to play.. you know what you will have to sacrifice.

I have only learn't 3 chords yet chord A , chord D and chord E. You have to tune a guitar each time you are playing it. It has six stings I cannot remember the order. A guitar needs to be kept out of sun light and needs to stand in a place. Sorry guys, I think I have found me new love...

What a Week!!!

This week has been a real busy one for me. Have been working and helping my flatmate with organising an event. Moreover at work we have a new project of an Australian bank and hence have to work after hours to catch up with the time difference.

On Thursday, I was occupied by an event organised by the EEO Trust called Work and Life Awards and Diverisity Symposium.. It was about how diverse employees can help the organisation grow and about employee treatment and things related to that. EEO Trust stands for Equal Employment Opportunites Trust, provides information and tools on EEO to employers and raises awareness of diversity issues in the workplace. It was interesting to see the Corporate world of New Zealand and all thanks to my flatmate, she works in the EEO Trust.. I was a volunteer there for that evening.

The morning started with a seminar of Frans Johnasson.. the man behind the book The Medici Effect.. I must tell you what a personality!!! He was simply the best speaker of all the rest. I am going to read the book as soon as I can get my hands on it.. I can go on and on talking about him, this Swedish by birth Afro-American who is a Havard business school graduate is so full of energy and still so approachable. I saw him walking around the hotel lobby like any common man. Can one imagine this in INDIA?

His book is based on how to use your ideas and someone else's ideas which intersect and give birth to a new idea.. I will b able to explain more when I have read the book but one example that I clearly remember of many he gave us was of a successful Swedish chef in New York, Marcus Samuelsson and how he was the best chef at the age of 24 and it was not because he was the best, he was still learning then but because his ideas were accepted by people.

Marcus was a chef on a cruise liner before he came to New York and during his that venture he learn't about diverse cultures, cruisines on ever shore they landed and when he came to New York and got his chance he gave rise to new ideas by mixing all the ideas and knowledge he had gained during his last experience and as they say no experience goes waste, he was 3 star rated by New York Times. In his video interview with Frans he mentioned that he and his chef partner brain stormed ideas and gave rise to a new dish. He said its not that all our ideas are accepted or liked but that tells us what is not accepted and makes us walk ahead. I must say, Frans made my day.

The Work and Life Awards which was in the evening is incomplete without Helen Clark (our honorary Prime Minister) who could not make it, she was overseas for an urgent meeting but the Speaker of the House, Margaret Wilson had come on her behalf. Well can you imagine a speaker of the house without any security around.. yes the hotel had security arrangements but they were waiting outside the hall..

And that was about me for the week.. so until I publish my next post, ADIOS :)

Warkworth

Yesterday was an eventful Sunday my friends and me went to a Marine Reserve called Goat Island, I know what you are thinking… but let me correct you, I did not go to an Island which had goats but the reserve is called so because this Marine Reserve has many caves and the farmers used to use those caves sometimes for their Goats to rest… this reserve is conversed by the University of Auckland and the water is around knee depth as far as the caves and then it deepens as the Pacific Ocean comes closer. The ocean floor is fantastic and the water is crystal clear. We could see many Eagle rays which are a type of Sting ray, from the top but of course our boat was Glass Bottomed so once it was spotted we all jumped to the bottom and saw many of them one after the other... the captain told us that they were visible and close to the shore today because they had seen an Orca Whale in the morning which feeds on these fishes.

We also saw various sea weeds, Sea Urchins, Cook’s Turban Snails, caves and algae. Many fishes like Trevallis, Snappers, Blue Mao Mao, Goat fish, Red Moki, etc…

Eagle Ray

Goat Island is about 1.5 hrs drive to the North of Auckland i.e. 125 kms from South Auckland and it is some 30 mins drive from Warkworth in the East towards Leigh.

This cave is called Shark Mouth cave, I guess the shape suggests

The day was pleasant hence we had some traffic but otherwise it was a great experience... one our way back we took a diversion to Parry Kauri Walk... It was a beautiful sight of various Flora and Fauna. Parry Kauri Walk was a 30 mins walk into the Kauri forest. Kauri trees are 11m tall and have 7 m diameter. Their life ranges from 800-1000 years. We have seen a Kauri forest when we went to Bay of Islands too..

Parry Kauri Walk

The beauty about New Zealand is they don’t have many things but they represent each feature tastefully... I was thinking if our Indian Tourism also planned something like this I am sure we could make much more income from Tourism than what we make now.

Ab tera kya hoga Sanju....

While Sanju baba seems shocked with his punishment, foolish people around the country are shocking others by supporting him, signing petitions and even saying prayers for him.. I would say what a waste of time..

How big hypocrites can we be... we talk about no justice in the country and when the Judiciary passes a judgement challenge their judgement ... I agree that India is a democratic country but then does anyone realise the more they waste their time with such things the more is the Judiciary going to delay his bail application and be adamant not to waive his punishment... Well agreed he is not a terrorist but then possessing unlicensed arms is a crime too. Normal term for possessing weapons ranges from 5- 11 years and he has been punished for 6 years, isn't that fair enough?

I do not agree that a person needs to hold AK47s and hand grenades to protect his family, a service revolver can do the trick .. in that case every family in India should be entitled to have 1 AK47 and hand grenades each to protect their family. Sanju baba says that he has a family and has responsibility, hey don't we all have that... how many of us have AK47s at home???

Imagine if instead of him you or me were involved in the case would they buy the crap that I have responsibility and a pregnant sister.. etc, etc.. Or imagien if he had lost anyone of his family in the 1993 blasts would he forgive the people behind it.. It is a established fact that he was involved in the bomb blasts too.. I admire him as an actor too but as a person he is indeed a failure. Our bollywood stars have signed petitions.. How many of them have lost families, friends? Soul working member of their family? How many have lifted the body of their young sons/ daughters? I ask each Indian rather even human how can you forgive a man who has his hands dripping with blood..

Alas all I can say is WHAT GOES AROUND.. COMES AROUND.. As you sow, so shall you reap.