197. Mediation

It is good to know that people are concerned about other people
However, an uninvited concern is irritating.
For last few days, suddenly from nowhere else, I started getting messages from an organization which cares for people's spiritual enlightenment. At least that is what they claim.

I ignored first few mails in the hope that if I did not respond, they would be discouraged enough.
But the messages kept on coming. About Rajyoga Mediation and all that.
It always had the boasting last liine: We are at 140 countries with more than 9000 Meditation centre's since 1937 

I wrote to them requesting "not to send such mails."
No effect.
Then after few days I wrote, "Kindly stop sending these mails to me. Note that you are invading my privacy."

This was a clear message to any person in right mind.
But no, not to this organization! They wrote back:


Om Shanti Divine Soul, 

Our aim is not to disturb your privacy of life, we just want to inform you about Godly meditation which is need for very human being to maintain balance of life. crores of family's are enjoying this, this meditation is like to recharge your soul. GOD BLESS YOU.

I wonder what makes these people think that I need a mediation. 

And what makes them to think that they are eligible to mediate between me and God!

 By the way, what is your guess? Which organization is this? :-)

196. Translators

Some jobs needs more than what they mean.
Look at the translators; for example.
Apparently it is about a set of skills but it is also about what kind of human being you are.

People have different ideas - not  only about others but also about themselves.
The personality exhibits salient features more in certain professions.
And I have come to believe that "translation" is one such profession.

Being born and brought up and working in a multi-lingual society like India has its advantages. However it also means that most of the times I have to depend on translators. I have done "translation" tasks a number of times and know how difficult it is. I keep on wondering why translators think that 'knowing two languages makes them automatically eligible for the job of translation."

Once I had a translator who had opinion on each and everything under the sky. Each time he would translate very briefly what other person had said and elaborate on how he disagreed with that opinion. I had hard time in separating his opinions and the opinions of the people. I had to assure him that I would interview him later and at length.

There was another translator who made it look so easy for himself. The tribal women spoke for about ten minutes and he translated it in one minute. When I protested that the woman had spoken many points, he shrugged shoulders and bravely said that he was helping me by filtering the talk. I had to remind him that it was for these tribal women that I had come so far.

Once I was asking few questions and the translator kept on answering those without consulting local people. When I reminded her that I needed to get those answers from local communities, she simple said, "Oh! But I know those answers. What is there to ask? In fact you should be thankful that I am saving lot of your time."

One translator always forgot to translate the response. After listening to the response, she would keep on asking her own questions (totally irrelevant and misleading the whole process) until my interference.

Once I provided an example of how the lack of quality assurance destroyed the enterprise of one Self Help Group of women. The idea was that the participants should pay more attention to quality assurance. What I spoke for five minutes, the translator told them in one sentence. I asked  what he had told them. He had plainly told that "don't go into this enterprise, you will fail."

Do you see a pattern? Translation is not only about skills, they are highly important. It is also about what kind of person you are. Are you ready to hide yourself? Are you ready to forget your likes and dislikes for a little time? Are you ready to treat yourself insignificant in the whole process? Are you ready to communicate what you have been told without adding spice in it? Are you ready to help others? Are you willing to learn?

We need good translators; not only linguistic translators but also those who can translate ideas into actions.
For that one needs to treat her/himself as an instrument - are we ready for that?

I look back at my experience and realize that half of the work gets spoiled due to bad translators!
Both idea-action translators and language translators.

195. Wrong Message

I hardly watch Television.
And when I watch, I have learnt the art of doing some important tasks during the 'break'.
That means I hardly watch advertisements.

However, this one I watched and was amazed.

A bell rings.
Father opens door.
Son enters - he is obviously a cricket player.
Father asks, "Is the match over?"
Son says, "Everybody has gone out on vacation. When will we go?" (As if the boy did not know that others are not there and went in to play match with full preparations! The kids today are not so dumb!!)
Daughter says, "I too want to go Papa."
Father promises, "Ok, we too will go on vacation (and visit some places)".

Then the wife (mother of kids :-))  says,"Why did you give such a false promise to kids? We don't have any saving after we pay y EMI (Equated Monthly Installments)"
And the man replies, "Don't worry, now I have transferred the housing loan to State Bank of India" (The EMI is less and so the family can save).

And then a photograph of the family on tour.

However, there is one absolutely fundamental wrong message in this advertisement,

Can you guess what it is?

194. Break

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 39; the thirty-ninth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is "Break"

As the teacher enters the class, we all become silent, not out of fear but out of expectation of another time for entertainment.

“Let us discuss the word BREAK today,” she announces.

We know the game. We have to use the word in as many ways as possible.

“I want to break the silence”, Rashmi says cleverly and everybody laughs.

“Our car break is not working, so the silence is already broken” Aditya adds.

“So, did you break traffic rules?” Mohit asks.

“No, the traffic police had a break then,” Sudha adds with smile.

“Turn the break  ...” someone says and we are puzzled, is this term right? Can we turn the break?  

“My elder brother joined another company. He has a good break, he says,” Sumit adds.

“Is he the one who is good in code-break?” asks Hema.

“Oh! He is the record breaker of our school, remember?” Maya added.

“Hmm, how clever you all are! I have to break my head to use the word,” Deepankar says and again everybody laughs.

“Better break a glass than a break down,” Nandita. Her mother is psychiatrist

After few minutes the fun is over. Everyone is thinking hard to find uses of the word ‘break’

“Give us a break,” I say loudly and laughter breaks around.

This teacher has taken a break from tradition, but how effectively can she break the age long habit of other teachers?

So, her session is a good break for us – nothing more than that!  

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: BLOGGER NAME, Participation Count: XX

193. Abandoned

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 38; the thirty-eighth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is "The Woman on Platform Number 10"

This is the time when millions come here; to bathe in the famous confluence.

She must be one of those; nameless, faceless Indian.

She must be above 70; frail and lonely.

The woman is here on platform number 10 for almost five hours.

 “Mother, where are you going?” I ask politely.

“Ramgadh”, she smiles.

 “What time is your train?” I ask.

“Babu, my son, knows” she replies.

“Where is Babu?” I ask.

“He is bringing a cup of tea for me”, she answers.

 I sigh.

That rascal Babu has abandoned his mother.

Will she be able to accept the truth? 

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: BLOGGER NAME, Participation Count: XX

(This is a Drabble.) 

192. Painting

I am visiting his office after a long time.

The room looks cleaner and beautiful.

There is a new painting on the wall.

It is enchanting.

He is happy to note that it has attracted my attention. 

I ask him about the painting.

For half an hour he elaborates – the artist, the other paintings, and the exhibition.        

With love, with enthusiasm that is uncharacteristic of him.

I keep on wondering.

If he likes the painting so much, why is it at his back?

Is it a process that helps to show him in a different light?

Is he ‘Painting’ himself?  

(This is a Drabble.)

191. Twinning

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 37; the thirty-seventh edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is "and then there were none"

The twins come from that indescribable core,

Beyond darkness and light.

One  moves amongst people;

Covers itself with different passions;

It wears colors, masks, sips the emotions;

Takes positions, assumes thoughts;

It presents itself in an exciting manner;

People are more comfortable with It.

The other observes relentlessly.

It does all that the first one does.

It flows and maintains its identity.

It is naked.  It stares calmly.

So it never attracts human beings.

 It frightens.

One always feels strange to face it.

For ages they say: truth is stranger than fiction.

Indeed it is.

The Twinning seems ridiculously insane.

****

(This is a Drabble.)

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: BLOGGER NAME, Participation Count: XX