Monday, August 28, 2006

Hope!

Someone sent me this link on Orkut today - http://sonic200.com/others/tuongphan.htm

I usually dont open the links but today I did...The link shows a picture comparision from a well to do foreign country about happy people. Other side of pictures show people suffering from malnutrition, lack of education, money etc...

You might have seen picture of earth taken from spaceship. Earth seems so serene, beautiful. Those who have been lucky to go in space and actually see that are so much blessed.

But as we try to zoom in to the real life on earth, life that we live in, things start to get murkier and thoughts crop up sooner than you can say "Kiran"!

Each individual on this earth lives a life, life thats unique for him/her. Each has a different perspective and definition of things around.

As the link shows, everyone has different concerns, issues. You may be cursing your ISP for being very slow today. At the same time, somewhere on the earth, might be struggling to get a lamp of oil lit. Your laptop may seem outdated recently and for someone getting hands on to a calculator seems thrilling. You go to a shop and spend hours for that nice skirt, but someone will be standing in the midst of dessert, pale with thirst! You might be in dilemma about which car to buy, and a farmer in a city next to you is attempting to plough the fields himself. You may be wondering why you got less marks in exam and someone might be running to save life from a missile from air strike....You see a city skyline full of tall buildings and at the same time each building has slums and homeless walking around...Newpaper is full of page 3 party picures and news about people dying due to poisonous country liquor.....its just endless.

There is huge difference between people on economic, social and all other front of life. Each person lives a different lifestyle. Yet, people of different lifestyle coexist so well in this world! Its amazing to see how life goes on for different people around the globe...

Sometimes I think can money be distributed equal and bring all on same page? But then I realise its not just money, equal distribution is not solution. Then what can be done?

Money is not problem and its not solution too...Its life that has to go on despite everything...its our fate that we have to go through. When fate comes in, you cant accept everything you have and keep cribbing. Hope is life and thats the weapon to use against fate. Despite the diversity, hope is the only thing that supports the earth. Everyone has hope to see a better tomorrow...

And today I salute that hope. Hope the hope stays strong and when each sould awakens tomorrow, pray him/her a better day than it was yesterday. Amen!

An evening at the ATM

Two days ago, it was usual rainy evening in Pune. I was standing outside the ATM and waiting for my apartment broker to come.

A man came and parked his motorcycle. He was wearing a typical "Safari", carrying a mobile phone in pocket with strap around neck. The middle-aged man looked worried rather a little suspcious to me. He came over and asked about the security guard. Since I had seen him going away (maybe for a leak), I told him that he is around and will return.

The man seemed to get more anxious. He started to look around with anxity. And with his every move I was getting more suspicious about his motives. I thought that he wants to withdraw good amount of cash and wats security to guard him.

Then the guard from next shop came over. The man look relieved and approached him.

"tum idhar ka guard hai kya?" (Are you the guard over here) he asked. He removed a ATM card from his pocket and asked him "yeh paisa nikal ke do" (Help me withdraw money).

Then I realised that man needs assistance at ATM. The guard who had come over just walked back to his place. The man seemed helpless now.

I could make out that he was a native Marathi fella. I went over and asked "Tumhala yacha number mahit aahe ka?" (Do you know the PIN number?)

With the usual unsaid law of interaction in Mumbai/Pune he answered me in Hindi - "Ha number pata hai. mere ko paisa nikalana hai...aap nikalenge kya?" (Yes I know it, I want to withdraw money, can you help?)

I took him inside, put the card inside and started the transaction. He wanted to check the balance first. He had not more than INR 2147 there. He asked me to withdraw 2100 for him. I did so and told him to collect cash once it comes. As I was about to turn back and leave, he said..."thamba, jara te card pan kadhun dya na!" (Wait, please help me take out the card also!)

I waited for that and then came out. The man was still inside. He counted the cash carefully, put it in an envelope and put the envelope inside his shirt. I was amused by all this by now. He seemed to really withdraw a huge sum from the ATM.

The man came out and he saw me still standing. He had a feeling of getting his work done and a feeling of obligation towards me. He called me "Thank you Saheb!" (Thank you sir) though I was probably as young as his son. He offered me a cold drink. He insisted a little more for a min. Finally I put my hand on his shoulder and said that its nothing much that I did. He again said thank you sir, and went away happily.

As he was counting the sum inside. I started thinking about all this over again. There was a time in life where not only 2000, but 20 to spend looked real big amount for me. And this does not date back very long, till I finished graduation, the story remained same for me on money front. I remembered the days when my mother used to give me exact bus fare for whole month (INR 200) and then 100 more for me to spend in case of emergency.

I remembered the 15 mins walk taken to catch the bus and same back home, just to save INR 2 a day. That saving helped me spend at the scrap-vendor and buy old computer magazines or an occassional snacks at the cafeteria.

Things have changed since I started earning. Except after the first salary, I dont remember time when I checked balance before withdrawing money. Well, doesnt mean that I got a tree of money to shake whenever I needed but I had enough always. I hardly travel by public transport now. Infact I have not yet boarded bus in Thane and Pune where I live now!

Another thing was the ATM itself. Technology has advanced so much and made life more simpler at times for people. Earlier people never thought of going to a bank at 7 pm in the evening. When you did go to the bank, you had to fill in withdrawl slip, get token, stand in queue and all those things.

This man reminded me of the past. Infact most incident in daily routine, take me back to past and make me wonder about the life in those good old days!

This man had just did that :-) In a flash he had taken me back in past. I came back to present and just smiled at myself.

Time changes so fast!!!

Thursday, August 24, 2006

My first blog

Hello World!

Finally, I decided to blog!!!

I am Kiran, just another creature crawling on net. I have been blogging in my personal diary for years and now would like to share some of the day to day things and behind the scene thoughts with you all.

Those of you do not know me, would possibly know me as I keep blogging and you keep reading :-) A quick Google on Kiran Ghag should get you most about me.

Hope to keep in touch.

Kiran
http://www.kiranghag.com
http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=5142702001377807455