Best wishes to the women on International Women’s Day 2022

Women used to be ignored by the men and the logic used to be – “they should be seen and not heard.” Their responsibilities used to be divided between the kitchen and the bedroom. Even in the movies of pre 1970s, women seldom appeared in the posters. The men dominated movies. However, today in the 21st century there are women like Madhuri Dixit, Deepika Padukone, Hema Malini, Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra who call the shots. There used to be a time when women worked as domestic helps or as nurses in hospitals. Today, the world is their stage. They can be seen at work in the police, armed forces, banks, colleges and even in the world of fashion and cricket. To them, the sky is the limit – literally. They occupy the cockpits and fly as pilots to different destinations.

When it comes to the arena of politics, many women can outwit the males. Examples are Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani etcetera. The bottom line is – women are powerful and deserve respect. They are no longer helpless and have the ability to reach the peak in any field.

Around the world – tourism and tourists

All of us love to travel and, from the days of sailing ships to today’s cruise boats to taking the aerial route, tourism flourishes and new ideas keep cropping up to entice the traveler with attractive options.

China - An example reported in Daily Mail dated 28 March 2016 (1) is the Shanghai Disneyland. It is set to open on 16 June 2016 but, opening day tickets have already been sold out. It is billed as China's version of the happiest place on earth and is fast taking shape. The lofty 196-foot-tall castle and resort buildings are undergoing their final stages of construction.
Fans are excited about the developments and tickets for the June 16 opening day were sold out within hours of being listed on the company's official ticketing website. The excitement is visible from the fact that rooms are fully booked at the Toy Story Hotel and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel for the first two weeks.
Spread out over 963-acres, Shanghai Disneyland is the company's sixth park worldwide and it has promised that it will pay homage to traditional Chinese culture and also showcase Disney's favorite films.
For comparison, this Disneyland is eight times larger than Hong Kong Disneyland which occupies just 126-acre. But, Shanghai Disneyland cost $5.5billion to build and is labeled as the cheapest out of all the Disneyland resorts.
Tickets for off season visitors is 370 yuan (£39) and it will increase to 499 yuan (£51) during peak times.
The company expects to attract the 330million Chinese who reside within a three-hour train or car trip of Shanghai.

Japan - Ibnlive dated 13 March 2016 (2) has revealed that Japan wants to hire ninjas to promote tourism. Like every country in the world, it is keen to promote tourism and wants to recruit six full-time ninjas who have a way with words and can do backward handsprings.
The monthly salary would be about $1,600 a month and the requirement is that of Central Japan's Aichi prefecture. The task of these full-time ninjas -- the martial-arts masters and stealth special assassins of feudal times – would be to promote tourism in the area known for historic Nagoya castle.
Japan’s eyes are focused on promoting tourism as an economic growth driver ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The newly hired ninjas will get a one-year contract and will have to perform acrobatics, do backward handsprings and some dance moves and demonstrate the use of their trademark "shuriken" -- ninja star -- weapons and pose for photographs with tourists. The ideal candidates would be those who "enjoy being under the spotlight even though he or she is a secretive ninja".
Ability to speak in Japanese is preferable. However, non-Japanese individuals who are passionate about history and tourism would also be welcome because the troupe will, at times, have to perform in English. In short, they must be good at talking to promote tourism even though they are basically required to be secretive. They will have to go through a one-month training course in April.

Australia - Zeenews dated 4 March 2016 (3) has thrown light on the fact that Australia is turning out to be a favorite destination of Indians. The data furnished by Tourism Australia reveals that the total number of Indians visiting Australia has increased by 18.6 per cent in 2015. India, therefore, is the eighth largest inbound market for the continent nation.
The number rose to 233,100 last year as compared to 197,000 Indian tourists who visited Australia in 2014 and Australia has set a target of over 250,000 visitors from India who would be visiting the country's dramatic landscapes, culinary delights and culture.
As per statistics, last year, about 158,500 of Indians traveled to Australia for leisure while 26,400 went for business, 14,800 short-term education and 33,500 for other purposes. Out of the leisure travelers, 60,500 visitors were on holiday in December while 98,000 visited friends and relatives.
One reason for this fascination with Australia could be attributed to Bollywood movies and Hindi TV serials which had shot part of their episodes in Australia.

Ref 1 - Incredible aerial pictures show how Shanghai Disneyland is taking shape fast... as opening day tickets sell out within HOURS
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3512167/Incredible-aerial-pictures-Shanghai-Disneyland-taking-shape-fast-opening-day-tickets-sell-HOURS.html

Ref 2 - Japan region seeks 6 full-time 'ninjas' to promote tourism; should be able to do backward handsprings
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/world/japan-region-seeks-6-full-time-ninjas-to-promote-tourism-should-be-able-to-do-backward-handsprings-1215518.html

Ref 3 - Australia witnesses 18.6% rise from Indian tourists in 2015
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/australia-witnesses-18-6-rise-from-indian-tourists-in-2015_1862256.html

Indians love to go to Australia on vacation

Australia is turning out to be a favorite destination of Indians - as per data furnished by Tourism Australia, the total number of Indians visiting Australia has increased by 18.6 per cent in 2015. India, therefore, is the eighth largest inbound market for the continent nation.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 4 March 2016.

The number rose 2,33,100 last year as compared to 1,97,000 Indian tourists who visited Australia in 2014 and Australia is now eyeing over 2,50,000 visitors from India who would be visiting the country's dramatic landscapes, culinary delights and culture.
As per statistics, last year, about 1,58,500 of Indians traveled to Australia for leisure while 26,400 went for business, 14,800 short-term education and 33,500 for other purposes. Out of the leisure travelers, 60,500 visitors were on holiday in December while 98,000 visited friends and relatives.
One reason for this fascination with Australia could be attributed to Bollywood movies and Hindi TV serials which had shot part of their episodes in Australia. This has been reported in bollywoodpresents.com


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi knows that ghosts have their uses (satire)

‘Make in India’ concept to market Ganga water (satire)

Moody throws light on conversion and smartness (satire)


Loss of bees and butterflies is disturbing the ecological balance

Madhya Pradesh to promote tiger tourism

China wants to fight terrorism in Xinjiang with entertainment, singing and dancing


Quantum jump for Priyanka Chopra from Quantico to Baywatch

Kissing scenes in movies – why this fad has never caught on in Bollywood

British actor Tom Hardy could become the new face of James Bond after Daniel Craig


Airstrikes in Syria target schools and hospitals - nearly 50 children killed

F-22 Stealth Bombers of the US fly low over South Korea skies

North Korea plans to carry out terror attacks on South Korea

Remembering Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore on his 154th birthday

Rabindra Nath Tagore was born on 8th of May 1861 and the country is today celebrating his 154th birth anniversary by paying tributes to him through his songs, dances and recitations from his innumerable literary creations. Each of these are gems that Bengalis the world over treasure.
It is a fact that Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore has enthralled not only Bengalis the world over by his literally skills but has also left a huge impression on anyone who has had a chance to read his works. He was a master at both prose and poetry and his literary works embrace all aspects of life right from the children to grownups.
It may be recalled that Tagore had written the National Anthems of three countries – India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He had both penned and composed the National Anthem for India and Bangladesh. As far as Sri Lanka’s anthem is concerned – Tagore had written it in Bengali in 1938. However, after the country became independent, the song was translated in Tamil and few changes were made and adopted as its National Anthem.

The education of Bengali girls is incomplete unless they have gone through a program of Rabindrasangeet (songs of Rabindranath) or have recited his poems or taken part in his dance dramas. His songs hold a special place among Bengalis because they are applicable to every conceivable occasion right from love to weather - and his dance dramas draw crowds even today wherever they are staged.
Moreover, many of the stories penned by him have influenced Bollywood producers and the result is the creation of blockbuster movies and spreading the Bengali culture.
Tagore created the Vishwa Bharati University, a unique university where there are students from India and abroad and they study in the open sitting under the trees. Tagore loved Nature and always to be as near to Nature as possible.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


More than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped last year by Boko Haram have vanished

Journey to freedom – 5800 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean

Indonesian smugglers stuff yellow-crested cockatoos into plastic bottles to get past customs

Engineering graduate of Hyderabad goes astray, dies because of links with ISIS

Dozens of corpses found in bamboo cages in Thai human trafficking camp

Quick tour of Delhi by ITDC bus

Ban jeans, cell phones and wear dupatta to stop rapes

The right-wing Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha has blamed vulgar clothes for being responsible for rapes. It has demanded that, in order to check the growing incidents of rape, a dress code for girls should be introduced in schools and colleges. Also, cell phones should be banned on their premises with a view to check increasing obscenity. It should also be compulsory for girls to wear ‘dupatta’.
The general notion appears to be that vulgar clothes lead to incidents of rape and, in order to curb increasing obscenity in society, schools and colleges should follow a particular dress code. The clothes should cover the body and not be indecent. In addition, there should be a ban on girls wearing tight jeans and tops.
Another aspect is the live-in relationships. In the opinion of these groups, the Indian culture is getting affected due to such relationship and hence there should be a law prohibiting this tendency. The mentality of society is, apparently, not mature enough to give unrestricted freedom to the youths.
Those who want such measures to be introduced should be more radical in their thinking because our ancient cave sculptures of Khajuraho, Ajanta, Ellora etcetera reveal the female form in all its glory with scant clothing. Should these places be made out of bounds for the young ones?
Other influences are the Bollywood movies where the media goes ga-ga over earnings of movies in hundreds of crores of rupees – and, for such money to roll in, the credit should go to the bare-all dances numbers better known as item songs that accompany provocative body gestures. Should they also not be banned?
We are inviting FDI in many areas and these will bring with them foreign cultures that could the minds of the youth – in order to preserve our culture, should we not rethink on allowing FDI? Moreover, rapes are not restricted to school and college going girls but also working women, and housewives.

Age-old proverbs in new capsules (1)

All of us have been brought up on proverbs. These are tiny bits of wisdom that have been carried forward from time immemorial and are thoughts that one keeps adding to his super computer so that he can draw on them for inspiration when the time to do so comes.
Many may think that proverbs are irrelevant today but, the basics remain, only, their interpretations might have undergone transformation.
A stitch in time saves nine – take your damaged apparels to the neighborhood tailor to do minor repairs because getting new ones is a costly affair and is gradually going out of our reach. In case of trousers, go for Bermudas – these are quite fashionable and come cheap, cheaper than trousers. Or – when indoors, wrap a lungi around your waist and keep the trousers exclusively for the office use and for use on special occasions.
As you sow so you reap – you may not always get the desired benefit because of unpredictable weather – blame it on global warming. The crops may wither due to delayed monsoons or may get washed away due to flash floods or may be burnt down by people who do not like your facial expressions or your hair style.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy – the Jack of today is an all-rounder, he plays cricket as well as shines in his studies. The players of today are adopted from their cradle and some of them are supposed to play and do nothing else. None of them become dull because all play and no work makes them crorepatis ten times over, especially in cricket.
A burnt child dreads the fire – this is a misconception, he learns how to tame fires quite early in life, hence it does not hold any surprises for him. In some parts of the world they grow up with firearms and bombs. In India, firecracker manufacturers find their profit lines soaring when they entice child labor into their webs.
An apple a day keeps the Doctor away – yes, this can certainly happen but, if all of us started following this practice, the doctors would be out of jobs, their profession would go on the blink. Hence, this is not applicable.
A friend in need is a friend indeed – the days of real friends in the style of the 1964 film Dosti and the 1975 film Sholay are still very much there in Bollywood movies. All our heroes and heroines sacrifice their loves at the drop of a hat. This provides opportunities for sad mournful songs interspersed with show-it-all types of songs in flashback.
All that glitters is not gold – how very right, the metal that glitters today is actually platinum. Gold seems to have lost much of its shine and charms.
A bird in hand is worth two in the bush – for some professions job opportunities are there for their asking. Yes – the software experts. Theirs is a high profile and one of the best paying professions. Job jumping is but second nature to them. They always have more than one bird in hand and are able to keep their employers on tenterhooks.
These are just a few proverbs that come to mind at the moment. The list is a long one from A to Z and I am still in A. Some of these proverbs transcend the barriers of language and equivalents are popular in regional languages. I hope to continue this series for some time.