का सारखा तुझा भास्?

हलकेच पचोळ्याच आवाज  होतो..
तुझी चाहूल लगते
तू दिसला नाहीस की खूप उदास वाटतं
अखंड जग जरी सोबतीला असल
तरी सुद्धा अगदी एकट
का सारखा तुझा आभास?

एकटी असले तरी तुझाच विचार करते
तुझ्यावरच कविता सुचते
तू आला नाहीस लवकर की मन बेचैन होतं
पुस्तकांचा ढीग जरी सोबत असला
तरीसुद्धा लक्ष्य तुझ्याकडे असतं
का नेहमीच तुझ्याकडे वाट?

रुसतोस तू माझ्यावर जेव्हा
गळून जाते, दोर तुटलेल्या पतंगासरखी
माझच  मन मला खातं
तू धावत येउन मिठीत घ्यावस
अस सारख वाटत राहतं
का निरंतर तुझीच आस?

त्या टेकडी जवळ्च्या डोहात जेव्हा
मी माझ प्रतिबिंबा पाहते
तू मागून माला बिलगलास असा भास होतो
नकळत चेहरयवरल  हसू पाहून
माझीच माला लाज वाटते
का सारखा तुझा भास्?

मी अशी

मी अशी
निळ्याभोर आकाशाकडे पाहत
तासंतास रमणारी

मी अशी
इवल्याश्या गवतफ़ुलशी
गप्पा मारणारी

मी अशी
लाटांच्या आवाजात
नाद शोधणारी

मी अशी
मावळत्य सूर्याच्या दिशेने
धावत सुटणारी

मी अशी
नदी पलिकडच्या झोपद्याकडे
एकटक पाहणारी

मी अशी
चंद्रप्रकाशात बसून
चांदण्याच  वेध घेणारी

मी आशी
एकूण एक आठ्वणीना
काव्यातून जपणारी

सारं विसरलास का रे?

तू

समोर आलास तू , निखळ हसू घेउन
मनमोकळया गप्पा मारल्या तुझ्या बोलक्या डोळ्यात पाहून
सामान्य होता तो दिवस, तरीसुद्धा सर्वात निराळा
वाटलं नव्हतं तुझ्या रूपात आयुष्याचा सोबती मिळेल मला

नव्हती गाणी, झगमगाट नव्हता
न स्वप्नातल्या राजकुमारासरखा तू घोड्यावर होतास
फक्त होत्या गप्पा आणि अगणित विषय
बोलत राहिलो आपण आणि वेळेचा पत्ताच नव्हता

तुला मनात ठेउन मी घरी परतले
तुझ्या समवेत गेलेल्या वेळेचा विचार करत राहिले
निर्मळ प्रेमळ अगदी मला साजेसा वाट्लास
सहजच ह्रुदयात जागा करून राहिलास

अजुनही तो दिवस आठवतो पुन्हा आपली भेट झाली
परत एकदा भरपूर बोलायची संधी मिळाली
निरागसपणे सांगत होतास तुझ्या मनातल्या गोष्टी
एकरूप होतील का त्या माझ्या आयुष्याशी?

बागडत दुसर्या दिवशी मी तुझ्याकडे आले
नकळत पुन्हा एकदा गप्पांमध्यें गुंतून गेले
सोपवेन कायमचा हात तुझ्या हातात
देशील का अशीच आयुष्यभराची साथ?

सगळी कोडी सुटली आणि मी तुझी झाले
एकमेकांपासून दूर असण्याचे क्षण सुद्धा नाहीसे झाले
जीवनातील  दुःख आता तुझ्या सोबत विरघळतात
आनंदाचे क्षण मोहरून खुलतात

Speech at the Indian Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark by Nikhil Pande

Namaste everyone,

My heart felt sympathies to all fellow countrymen who lost their lives; even more to those who lost their near & dear ones during the thoroughly planned & well coordinated Mumbai terror attacks.

A grand salute to the brave staff of The Taj & Oberoi, our black cat commandos, the servicemen assisting this operation and all those who directly or indirectly fought the terrorists. They all made every Indian feel immensely proud of being an Indian. They made us feel that we are placed in safe hands – a daunting task under the circumstances.

What happened in Mumbai is an unpardonable crime. My anger knows no bounds especially because of the confused response of the authorities adding to even more chaos in the international community.

It was very unfortunate and extremely shameful that human lives were lost due to negligence on various fronts. What we had in Mumbai was a complete systemic failure. All systems grossly malfunctioned.

What can we learn from the 26/11 terrorist attacks?
The most important lesson is that this can happen again. There are so many vulnerable national assets all over the country and we are ill-prepared to protect them. Terrorists used aircraft in New York, trains and buses in London, trains in Mumbai and Madrid and they came by sea to Mumbai. They could target many of our national iconic sites like Vishakapatnam, Jamshedpur or Lucknow. They could target the IT industry in Bengaluru which has already faced terror attack earlier. These are all irrecoverable assets. We must take every step to safeguard them.

The second lesson is that we must never forget what happened. No stone must be left unturned till all the perpetrators – wherever they are in the world – are punished.

Third, we must not let our tolerance be viewed as weakness by international community.

Fourth, to prioritise national vulnerabilities and set about protecting them.

Fifth, we need to admit failures and mistakes then go about correcting them. Spare no cost, upgrade intelligence capabilities; carry out the much delayed police reforms and arm our elite commandos with world-class gadgets to match their caliber regularly. Spare the Army from routine counter-terror activities and above all; re-establish the rule of law. Sharpen covert capabilities. And not let Pakistan, which is a nuisance, become a threat.

Lastly, media should have acted with greater responsibility since they influence the thoughts of the nation – their job is much more than just reporting.

If you forget everything from the talk until now – please do not forget that the overall desi mentality HAS to change drastically. Resilience to terrorist incidents may indicate that the people may have overcome fear which is a positive development. However, we have a problem because indifference to suffering is based on the hope that “I” shall not be the target and tragedies are only meant for “the other”. There is inadequate public response because it is generally assumed that prevention of terrorism is exclusively the task of the state. This attitude has to change and only the state can help this change. The average citizen must be encouraged and educated to help the state by providing clues, warnings and assistance in investigations.

The best and perhaps the only way to fight terrorism is to develop and sustain an effective intelligence system, not only at the centre but at every level down to the constable. Unless we have this; we will continue to be the soft target of terrorism.

There is loads of work yet to begin, if we want to win the war on terrorism. India must get ready to detect, deter and destroy this menace before it harms us even further. That the government has brought about few reforms in intelligence system post 26/11 is a positive development. We must rigorously follow upon these until we have a strong counter terror system in place.

With immense hope and expectations not only from the leadership but also from the common Indian person; I sincerely believe, if we all come together, “Yes, absolutely we can” win the war against terrorism.

Jai Hind!

Essential nutients …

Last weekend we had a get-together at one of our Danish friend. We happen to discuss a lot about food (Veg v/s Non-veg) whenever we have such treats at each others places. Since childhood I have been a pure vegetarian. Initially, because of my parents and the family food culture but later due to one of our science teachers. She influenced me and I was convinced that I shall remain a vegetarian. She said - Animals are living beings. None of the animals would like to get killed. Whenever we have meat, chicken or any other non-vegetarian food, imagine how the living being must have fought for life before it could fill our tummies! Those words remain in my mind and I choose to be a vegetarian. Everyone has a choice and I never bothered to argue with anyone in this regard. Now, when I face this cultural difference, and we are are asked about ‘Nutritious value’ of vegetarian food.. I got curious and wanted to analyze my balanced diet… moreover, do I really have one?

I am not a doctor nor a science student. However I want to be at least aware of the details of a ‘vegetarian balanced diet’.

There are 6 essential nutrients which are required by human body to survive and grow. Proteins, Vitamins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Minerals and water.

Carbohydrates which should constitute to 50-60% of our diet, are of two types - Simple sugars and Complex carbohydrates. Simple sugars consist of one or two molecules of sugar, where as, complex also known as starches or fibers consist of chain of sugar molecules. Simple sugars are found in juices, honey, jams, candy, and enriched processed foods such as white bread and pasta. These digest easily and should be consumed moderately. Complex sugars are found in Chapati, wheat bread, whole grains, oatmeal. They should contribute to 50-60% of your diet.

Contained in: Wheat bread or chapati, Oatmeal, Rice, Fruits, Potatoes, Cereal, Corn, Peas etc

Fats which should form 15-20% of you daily diet, are of two types - Saturated and Unsaturated. Saturated fats come from animal products and some oils and are solid at room temperature. Food with high saturated fats should be avoided. Unsaturated fats come from plant substances and are liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats consumed in adequate amounts are good for health.

Contained in: Milk products, Plant products such as Nuts, Seeds and Grains.

Proteins which should on an average consist of 15-20% in our diet, depending on the physical activities we do. They consist of a long chain of amino acids. There are in all 20 amino acids, out of which 8 are essential. Proteins are classified as complete and incomplete. Complete because they consist of all the 8 essential amino acids. These come from soya and animal products. Incomplete come from plants. These are missing one of the 8 essential amino acids. Proteins are good for many tissues in our body, especially muscle tissue. They should be consumed in adequate quantity when taking up heavy exercises.

Contained in: Soya products, Beans, salads, milk products, vegetables.

Vitamins are organic substances which are required for proper functioning of our body system. Vitamins are must for digestion, muscle movement, energy production, tissue repair.There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat before the body absorbs them into the blood stream, are excreted slowly, and are stored in the liver. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water, are not stored, and are frequently excreted through urination. Fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. Water-soluble vitamins are the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C.

Contained in: Vegetables, fruits, salads, Sunlight-vitamin D.

Minerals are inorganic substances which aid in body functions and are found in teeth, nails and bones. Iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are the four main minerals.

Iron - Required for the oxygen transportation and utilization. Major iron is used to form haemoglobin which carries the oxygen in the body. Found in dark green vegetables.

Calcium - It is required for bone formation, nerve impulse transmission, and muscle contraction. Found in dairy products and dark green leafy vegetables.

Magnesium - helps in protein synthesis, muscle contraction, and the breakdown of glucose into energy. Found in yogurt, milk, fruits, vegetables, whole grains.

Phosphorus - aids in bone formation. Found in all the products which contain proteins.

Water is most essential for a healthy body. 60% of our body is composed of water. An average person must drink at least 3.5 liters of water daily. It helps prevent dehydration. Lack of water can cause imbalance in body functions, which leads to decrease in energy and performance.

Food pyramid for vegetarian diet

I think a vegetarian diet consists of a perfect balance of all the above nutrients! So, my dear vegitarian friends.. you need not worry.. Have a healthy meal.

All of my family and friends will be surprised to read such an article from me. Even my husband, he is the one whom I have to force to get me Burger, Pizza, Chat, Ummmm my favorite yummy Ice-cream and chocolates. But of course that’s a total different aspect of ‘unhealthy’ food which I do not want to investigate!! That is not our daily food .. its just sometimes to soothe our taste buds..!!

परत लहान व्हायचे आहे मला

आईचा कुरवाळणारा स्पर्श,
बाबांबरोबर शाळेत जाताना मिळणारा हर्ष..
परत लहान व्हायचे आहे मला,
आई बाबांच्या प्रेमात नहायचे आहे मला!

बहुला-बाहुलीचं लग्न,
भातुकलीच्या खेळात तासन्-तास् मग्न..
परत लहान व्हायचे आहे मला,
आई झोपली असताना खाऊ पळवायचा आहे मला!

मामा-मामी च्या रम्या गावी,
सगळे लाड पुरविणारे आजोबा-आजी..
परत लहान व्हायचे आहे मला,
ए राजी , ए  हौशी करत बैलगाडीतून चक्कार मारायची आहे मला!

धाडसी शिवाजी महाराजांच्या गोष्टी,
आजोबांकडून ऐकायच्या आहेत उन्हाळ्याच्या सुट्टीत..
परत लहान व्हायचे आहे मला,
गर्क होऊन अनेक गोष्टी ऐकायच्या आहेत मला!

नाचत खेळत  वाहणारं नदीचं पाणी,
इवलेसे सगळे जण .. प्रत्येकाच्या आंघोळी..
परत लहान व्हयाचे आहे मला,
आजीला पूजे साठी घागर  आणून द्यायची आहे मला!

आकाश्यात लुक लुक करणारे  असंख्य तारे,
मध्या रात्रीचे ते मंद, हळूवार वारे..
परत लहान व्हयाचे आहे मला,
मोठी झाले की डॉक्टर होण्याची स्वप्न पाहायची आहेत मला!

नवीन वर्ष .. नवीन उल्हास,
नवीन  गणावेश , नवीन वह्या -पुस्तकांचा  वास..
परत लहान व्हायचे आहे मला,
परत शिस्तीत शाळेत जायच आहे मला!

आल्लड ते बालपण आता नाहीसे झाले,
आयुष्यातील सगळ्यात सुंदर आठवणी मात्र ठेऊन गेले..
परत लहान होता येणार नाही मला,
परत लहान होता येणार नाही मला!!

Just you and me

Timeless moments we spent,
Timeless thoughts we asset,
Just you and me, Life is pretty.

Long walks through the woods,
Long talks while cycling around the lagoons,
Just you and me, Life is beauty.

Dance in your embrace,
Sing in your grace,
Just you and me, Life is melody.

Your support while I am gloomy,
Your care while my anxiety,
Just you and me, Life is cozy.

Lovely time cooking,
Lovely time shopping,
Just you and me, Life is busy.

Hand in hand with you, each step ahead…
Just you and me, Life is harmony.

My first experience with snow and Danish

We had arrived just a few days back to Copenhagen. Our new home… All set to start a new life. Entirely a new geographic location for me. Very far away from motherland physically as well as culturally. Latitudinally far above the equator. I had heard about the unpredictable weather of Denmark and now it was time to experience. One fine morning, I was sleeping cozy in my bed. I got a call from Nikhil(my dear husband) - who had already started his day at work. “Hey - Its snowing outside.. and it will be your first experience with snow. Go out experience the Scandinavian winter, there was ur chance to capture some white pictures!” I woke up to this wonderful sight.. The road, roofs of houses, trees, the cars all covered with lovely white snow. It was snow all over. I decided to go out and enjoy the snowfall and also inquire about Danish classes. There was great excitement mixed with anxiety for both the snowfall and the classes. I was told that danish is tough and to get admitted to an evening batch tougher. I wanted to hurry and get registered to start learning a new language - gateway into the new culture, people, hapennings. It is always interesting to learn new languages. On the other hand it was snowing and extremely cold outside. Preparing myself mentally; I was ready to step out.It was very cold, but beautiful picturesque nature at its best. I went to the bus stop. Due to the strong wind the snow was literally flying horizontally hitting me on my face. I was happy to see the bus which would take me to ‘Studieskole’ where I had decided to register to take my language lessons. It took me some time to find the school from the bus stop. And there it was!!..I peeped from the first window, there was no one inside. I pushed the door and it would not open. I waited for a while and started returning to the bus stop.. simultaneously peeping in through the windows. I saw a lady - I knocked the window. In action she told me that the school is closed for the whole week.The whole week I learnt was easter vacation. Returned home - with a wonderful experience of snowfall.
After a week I was back to studieskole - This time I inquired about the classes. I learnt that I would be invited for an interview and then assigned a batch. I would get a letter from the school inviting me for the interview. I was happy to finally register myself into their system for the first step of an interview

In the next 15 days I got a letter from Studieskole. I had got an appointment for discussion/interview. In the mean time the weather had changed drastically for good. Now the trees which did not have a single leaf were clad with lovely fresh green tender leaves. Simultaneously, I was looking out for jobs in IT. I wanted to join an evening batch for the classes to continue with the lessons when I would start working. I reached the school, and sat until my turn had come. It was my turn, I waited near the entrance of the room and knocked.. the lady sitting there blabbered something in danish. I did not understand and was completely confused. She had said - come in & please take a chair. Now how would I know.. I had come to enroll in order to learn danish!! The lady looked rude. The moment I had taken my seat.. She asked me a question. It was written on a piece of paper. I had to find out the subject, verb, object and adverb in a long sentence. I took the pen she offered me and wrote the answer. To my surprise, it won’t work she said.. You can’t get a evening batch. Probably I was wrong somewhere. The discussion ended abruptly. I came out and called Nikhil. I told him that she was not ready to offer me admission for the classes He suggested that I go back and tell her that I’d be fine with the morning batch. I did that - she agreed. How funny of her not to give me the evening batch. I was put on the waiting list for the morning classes. They said that they would mail the details when I am allotted to a batch.

One day I got a letter from the school that I will be getting a morning class starting from 30th May. I called them up and told them that it was not possible for me as I had started working. I was a bit afraid to convey that.. as I thought they might cancel my admission. But the lady told me that I would be on waiting list for evening classes. I was delighted to know that finally some time in future my classes would start.

After a month I returned home from work to find a letter from Stuidieskole. I picked up the letter and predicted that I must have got a reply saying ‘It won’t work’. But to my surprise, I had secured admission. It was a long wait of 4 months.

I have started my lessons now.. I have class mates from all around the world. China, Mexico, Germany, Portugal, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, USA, England. Just like French, unlike German - Danish is a language with a rule having lot of exceptions while pronuncing!! Danish has 8 vowels which have 15 sounds!! It is interesting to hear everyone at the class with different accent. Following is my introduction in Danish

Offers v/s Offers

I always had this concept in my mind - Sale/Offers/Discounts everywhere across the globe are almost the same. In India there is Monsoon sale every year. If you go shopping a few weeks before the grand sale would start.. You will notice that the prices are more or less same, as compared to those during the so called Sale. This is because the retailers augment the prices and attach a huge discount label! The sale so to say is just namesake - just to attract the customers luring them with discounts.

On the other hand, my husband who has been living in Scandinavia since 3 years always purchased things during sale. I used to tease him a lot when we met. I remember telling him - “Are you not aware that.. when you purchase during a sale, you are always in a loss” I never ever accepted and imagined about such a sale where I could buy things 50% cheaper than their actual price.That was my notion until I experienced true sale in Europe. It is really a funny experience.

Every week end we get newspapers / magazines / pamphlets having colorful pictures with prices printed on top. All this stuff comes for free delivered at your door step. While I had a glance at them carefully, I noticed that the prices for same commodity differed from shop to shop. Often there are discount weeks - tilbud (in danish). There’s spar (reduction in Danish) ranging from 20% to 70%. We have the opportunity to purchase things at around 30% less than the other shops would offer. There is a lot of rush during this time and all the stuff on discount gets literally washed away in the first 2 days of the offer week. So you have to always rush to buy things at their best price. Until now - our bicycles, winter jackets, crokery, flower plants are the things for which (i think) we have paid the best price! I always wanted to shop at ‘Magasin’, a huge shopping mall near our work place. Magasin is the house of all world famous brands like Armani, Hugo Boss, Cottonfield, Tommy Hilfilger for clothes to Armani, Lancome, Ralph Lauren for perfumes.. Name a good brand and you have a wide range of selection there. My idea of shopping at Magasin was not just window shopping ..!! We had visited this mall twice because of my liking for buying new and trendy things. However, we were not interested due to the sky high prices. One day we received a normal newspaper with no colorful pictures nor any vibrant colors used. hey! It said - sale at Magasin.. up to 70%. We decided that I will go and have a glance at all the interesting stuff we could buy. Luckily the place is just a few meters away from my office.. It was Friday - A working day. I was reluctant in going anywhere during the working hours. But Nikhil suggested that I should not miss the opportunity. In the lunch break I headed towards the mall. It was fully crowded - I wondered where do all these people seem to be; on any normal day!!

People shop loads and loads during this time. Most of the time, women are the ones who love to shop. I saw several men carrying a lot of bags behind their loved ones. Whenever I diverted my attention from the lovely things on sale, I had a look at all the people shopping. I wish I could capture their expressions. So much delighted and overwhelmed with joy. I learnt that in this month of discount - A lot of the costliest fur toys would be sold which normally take a year to get sold. The salesmen keep on wrapping things and it is often overtime for them. Often the security people get late and often they have to literally pull out the people from the mall. After having passed through a huge line towards the trial room, a huge line to pay the bill, a huge line for the ice-cream after shopping, a queue waiting for bus to return home. I was happy and enjoyed shopping at this authentic sale

We learnt from the store-managers that people spend much much more than what is essential during these sales! It’s a win-win situation I believe: the customer is happy since he has got things at a good price. The shop keepers are happy for getting away with their ‘little’ old stuff. They can refurbish the shop with newest things from this year’s collection. The turnover is highest during these sale-time.

All the time when I happen to see the prices as against the time of sale, I feel happy to have bought things at the best price. I don’t dare to tease my husband now Now a days I love offers and eagerly await the bunch of booklets delivered home on the weekend. And often enjoy Tilbud days

If one wants a change in mood with not much of expense - as Nikhil teases - One should experience shopping during sale !! Even better, watch people shop