Shooting from the hip

photo: bhumesh bharti

Wonder-full Doon!

Ever wondered where do all the old vehicles go? Forget about UMS or UGY registration plates, we hardly see any UP07s. To the best of my knowledge, there is no junkyard in Dehradun, so I really wonder where all these vehicles go?

 If anyone has any idea, do get back to us. This in no way, is to make people who drive these vehicles feel dated (cause my dad drives one of these!). On the contrary, I think they should feel privileged for being the special ones.

So how many of you actually “wondered” about this?

From now on keep your eyes open and wonder  the un-wondered, trust me it’s great fun! Till we wonder  again………

Rishi Saluja

My child - a Genius?!

This week, I just want to carry on from where I left off. Have you ever noticed how some children's eyes light up when they listen to a good song and start singing along, while others just start swaying to the beat of the music? How some love to spend hours on drawing and painting little 'cards' for you and their friends, while others love to make little boats and other shapes with paper or clay? How some of them love to tap to the beat of some inaudible music with spoons or pencils, while others get deeply engrossed in playing 'air guitar'? How some children love to play outdoors, while some love to stay indoors and read or write poetry and stories filled with flights of fantasy?

Why do all children have something that they love to do more than others, and they can spend hours doing that? What is that gives them that concentration, focus, and above all, that great joy spreading across their faces and a great peace surrounds them, even as their little fingers and minds are working at a furious pace? They are just 'expressing' themselves. They have discovered their 'expression' in any of these activities and this brings them joy and fulfillment.

We smilingly watch them do this and indulgently 'allow' them to carry on for some time. We often make reference to our children's active imaginations; we accept that they are creative; or note that they seem to be naturally curious and playful. But soon enough, our concerns for their future and their careers kick in, and we become anxious. We immediately transmit this stress to them by scolding them for 'wasting' precious time, time which could have been more constructively used in 'studying'. Our concentration on academics per se is so dominant that we frown upon and discourage any interest displayed by our children outside this. Many children are talented in so many fields but most parents and teachers consider those talents 'unproductive' as career goals. Children gradually lose interest in those activities and their talents get buried along with their self-worth and potential. Children are rebuked for not bringing 'good' marks in academics, while good performance in non-academic or creative acts is written off as wasteful 'play'.

But to make children high performers, we, as parents and teachers, have to realize that by igniting the child's artistic brain, we inevitably stimulate the academic brain to perform better. Until this realization takes root in our minds, schooling will continue to be a tedious exercise for all concerned. Our focus should be on the child's capacity for constructive growth and creative potential at the highest levels of functioning. Focus should be on providing opportunities for our children to explore.

Creative activities can positively affect a child's reasoning, thinking skills and spatial intelligence. They can affect test scores, raise energy levels, improve reading and writing skills, aid in learning and retaining new material, promote coordinated body movement, and take creativity to a higher level. We need to introduce activities that appeal to their feelings and to their 'right brain'– activities that the child responds to naturally. Activities like music, rhymes, song, dance, drawing, painting, clay modelling, role-play, dramatics, concerts, catch-ball, yoga, aerobics, hopping, skipping, jogging, juggling, and numerous other fun-filled activities, these stimulate the complex structure of the brain, encouraging both brain 'centres' to work in consonance with each other. This helps them to experience a greater integrated balance throughout their lives.

By having the freedom to 'express' themselves through any creative pursuit, our children can lead richer, more vibrant and fulfilling lives. Some of them can even turn them into wonderful career opportunities. It is our duty and responsibility to let our children explore and develop their potential in whatever they 'love' to do. We can help them in this way to have more 'complete' and integrated personalities. If their desires and dreams are not thwarted, but encouraged, they will be confident, well-balanced individuals, and whatever they do in lives after that, they are sure to leave their impressions for posterity. This is my dream. Is it yours too?

Juhi Mehta, the quintessential mother-teacher, runs Life Express - an after-school center for children. She can be reached at juhimalini@gmail.com. She also writes 'Reflections of an inner Journey'

I come with clean feet.

Once upon a time, there was a Zen Master addressing his disciples. In a perfectly manicured  garden, with a setting as serene as serene can be, there was one novice who was carrying on a verbal tirade about all the wonderful things he knew, about all the books he had studied and all the wonderful techniques he had mastered. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Master - an epitome of non-violence, turned around and slapped the novice, smack across the face and said, ‘don’t run around in my mind with your dirty feet’.

Trust me, I have washed my feet clean, and I do not have any intentions of running around in your head.

In this very first piece, I’d like to talk about death; not in the intellectual or philosophical manner but as a practical tool that can be used to improve our lives. Let me explain.

I was at a meditation retreat, and the teacher in his first session decided to give us the ‘shock and awe’ treatment. What would you do if I tell you that you are not going to live for more than a few months? A few hundred rants of disbelief and another few hundred sighs of despair later, we all sat down to make our ‘lists’. Mine, probably the longest, read something like this: spend time with children, tell wife I love her, take mom for a holiday, tie-up the  financial statements and IT returns, go bungy jumping,  spend time with children, tell wife I love her, look for and say sorry to Jasmeet for kicking him so hard in Class VII, learn singing, pray, learn dancing, spend more time with children....

So when everyone was done reading out their list in front of the entire gathering, the teacher asks, ‘So why aren’t you doing all these things now.....?’

Reminder of ‘ultimate reality’ is a wonderful tool to keep us on track. Every morning when you plan out your day, you ask yourself, would I do this if I were to live for only a few months. And if your answer is ‘no’ for a few consecutive days, you know you need to change something.

Ajay Mehta is a print designer, an Advanced Pranic Healer and a ‘spiritual’ seeker. He can be reached at ajaxmehta@gmail.com

Aall is well, or is it?

Aamir Khan knows what we are starved for. He’s an entertainer and a great marketer; and the rest of us? The 3 Idiots?

I loved the film, and laughed and cried as the director wanted. I also realized that the message of ‘follow you heart’ is universal and can be sold in any great package, including a film. I did however find the message too simplistic.

You want to become a wildlife photographer? Great, write a letter to Mr. Ace Photographer in Germany; with samples of your work, get accepted as his assistant, and you’re made.

Wish it was this simple.

Following your dream or passion and making a profession out of it, does not mean that it is easy. Success in any profession, including your loved one, requires sweat and blood - S&B, let’s call it for now. It does however become an enjoyable way of spending this S&B.

Recently, while making a film for the farewell party of a school I asked the kids what they liked. I got the usual answers. I sing, dance, trek, like photography, a pro at debugging ‘windows’…even a biking enthusiast. The answers however changed as soon as I asked what they are going to study after school. 5 out of 7 wanted to do an MBA eventually. “Why not what you like?” I asked. Bang! came the question back “do you think we can actually do that?”.

Well … S&B guys, and you find success. Are you going to enjoy the S&B is the ultimate question. Best of luck and farewell till next week.

Vineet Panchhi owns and runs Audio Wagon, his lifelong passion and now a music company. He blogs at Unplanned Journeys , and can be reached at: vineet.panchhi@audiowagon.com

Shooting from the hip

photo: bhumesh bharti

Creativity or Reproduction?

Wednesday is Art. My favourite day. Or used to be until the cornflowers.
Ten cornflowers in a jar. I loved them. Burning blue. Impatient to be begin
I scoured my paintbox. Cobalt. Azure and Prussian Blue. I mixed them well,
and laid them on my page, and saw the flowers bloom beneath my brush.
I showed my friend. “Dad grows these in our garden. Mum's special flower,
The colour of her eyes.” The teacher pounced. “Time to talk? No need to work?
Perhaps you'll show us what you've done?” She held my painting to the class,
While I sat proudly by. But then, “Now children look at this,” she said,
“And learn how NOT to paint. Jenny calls them flowers. But what do we see?
Just ten green sticks in a crooked jar, and ten awful blobs of horrible blue.”
Wednesday is always Art. It was my favourite day,
But now, if I can manage it, I try to stay away.

Going through my son's book, as I read these lines by Jenny Craig, I was transported back to a time when I was a young student, about five or six, small in size but big on dreams. I imagined myself being a famous painter, an accomplished pianist, a brilliant ballet/kathak dancer, a world-class singer, a legendary astronaut, ....! The list was endless. One of the things I fancied the most was drawing and painting. I would look forward to my art class. I would arrange my notebook and colours neatly in my bag, and always left it there, just in case my teacher decided to have an impromptu art lesson! But soon, I lost interest in the class and I slowly, unconsciously, let go of my dream to be a famous artist. >>keep reading...

Juhi Mehta, the quintessential mother-teacher, runs Life Express - an after-school center for children. She can be reached at juhimalini@gmail.com. She also writes 'Reflections of an inner Journey'

Sundays Around Doon - George Everest Estate

Hi, and welcome back! Brrrrrrrrr.... it was 3eeeee degreees just a few days back, with a dense fog to welcome us in the New Year. We Doonites don't get to see both of them so often. But let's say ’Hi’ to the sunny sunshine that's been around now despite the fog.

There's no perfect place to enjoy that winter sunshine than to go up a hill, find a nice spot with a view and settle down with your basket of food (Just don't litter please- remember, we have to come back next time.)

I'm sure each of us have their own favorite nooks and hills to enjoy the sunshine ( It would be great if you share your favorites with me; and I can share them with everyone). My favorite hill includes not just a sunny spot on a soft bed of grass, it also includes for free, a piece of history, and a legend. Its the 'Sir George Everest Estate' near Mussoorie. >>keep reading....

Him Ahuja is an avid traveler and runs a travel blog called allhimalaya.com

Calling the “Angry young people'!

OK, so before the citizenry starts to stand up in revolt…I love Dehradun, period. That is why I chose to return after two decades. This however isn't the Doon we left.

I am a huge fan of Amitabh Bachhan; and to a large extent, like every other boy born in the 70s, have a part of Mr. Bachhan in me, even if it isn't considered 'in vogue' any more. The part usually referred to as 'the angry young man'. If you loved Dehradun the way I do, I'm sure your internal Bachhan would be as angry. Here are the top reasons for me:

1. The way we behave on roads: Across the country, the word Dehradun is associated with a rather old world, civil society. We do get to see this in smaller circles now, but please don't step on the roads, even if you're insured. If the bikers don't kill you, the cars will. And I'm not even sure if they would stop to see who they hit. By the way, the behavior on roads is only a sign of who we've become…a rather slapdash people.
2. The litter: Lets face it, you can't possibly live in a 3 carore house and throw your kachra on the plot next door, just because it's vacant, and you want to save 50 bucks by avoiding the jamadar. Well, look around and you'll find both the property prices and the litter now touching carores.
3. The perpetual honker: Since when did 'loud' become 'cool' in Dehradun? Guys, peace…please.
I do get angry multiple times in a day, like one should, I guess; when one sees a beautiful land one loves, being defaced. As eccentric as it sounds, can we as people, please get a little more angry when we see harm done to the town?

Many 'angry young men' may just turn out to be better than just one; in this case.




Vineet Panchhi owns and runs Audio Wagon, his lifelong passion and now a music company. He blogs at Unplanned Journeys , and can be reached at: vineet.panchhi@audiowagon.com

Shooting from the hip

photo: bhumesh bharti

So, whose career is it anyway?

Recently, I addressed the senior class of a respectable management college in Dehra Dun. Interesting is an understatement for what I found.

The recession is (kind of) over, but the placements haven’t picked up yet; and a lot of students (actually almost all) believe that the college, somehow, is responsible for their placement. Or, is it?

All marketers know that you can sell a product only when the customer has both a need/interest in the product; as well as finds the product accessible and of a certain quality.

Let’s break that down into what’s happening at the management college in terms of (a) the product, (b) the need, and (c) accessibility.
1. The product (our graduate) is a function of what the college created as well as what the graduate learnt, in and outside the campus. We have this huge (and wrong) notion that grades, or the fact that we have an MBA degree, entitles us to a cozy job. Well, too bad, the real world cares about what you can deliver, not what you mugged.
2. The need for this product (read fresh management graduate) largely depends on the market, however it never really dries up. Looking at these niche markets pays handsomely.
3. The focus, hence (largely), is on the distribution of this product (accessibility). The college can provide placement help, however the product in this case (unlike soap) has the ability to self-distribute.

Net, net; we will have to take responsibility of both our learning, as well as a large part of how we’ll be placed with corporate. The easiest thing to do today is to pay a fee and get into class, but that’s where the lies end in the real world. Nobody cares after a few years about which college you went to, as long as you have both the ability and the willingness to deliver. So my dear products, OK to make you feel better, Management Graduates, take responsibility, because nobody else cares about your career.

Vineet Panchhi owns and runs Audio Wagon, his lifelong passion and now a music company. He blogs at Unplanned Journeys , and can be reached at: vineet.panchhi@audiowagon.com

TAKING BACK OUR ROLE

When I was a child, I thought to myself, “I can be a better parent and teacher than the ones I have.” Just to live up to this has been such an uphill task, I now have a new-found admiration for my parents, my teachers and everyone who is remotely associated with bringing up a child!

Haven't we made all efforts to be effective parents? But we begin to lose confidence along the way. I see a great need for parents to believe in themselves again, and now we all need to learn how to regain our confidence and to remember that our primary parental responsibility is to teach. We need to teach them not only to read and write, to do math, to pick up after themselves, but also teach principles and values, like how to love and respect themselves and others, be polite, self-reliant, responsible and happy. Our primary role is not to make our children happy. We have to teach them to find their own happiness. >>keep reading...

Juhi Mehta, the quintessential mother-teacher, runs Life Express - an after-school center for children. She can be reached at juhimalini@gmail.com. She writes 'Reflections of an inner Journey'

No 'S***********' please, we are Indians.

What is with us Indians, specially the young Indians, and Spirituality? Why is it that any one who talks of meditation, yoga, satsang, God, guru, spirituality, etc., is assumed to be old, ill, in-financial-trouble, escapist, or all of these? How is it that we allow and overlook a travesty in the name of religion, yet be completely ignorant or even intolerant of our own spirituality?

Well, I am not old (not, at least, in the usual sense of the word), I keep good mental, physical and emotional health, am not in any financial trouble, nor am I an escapist; and yet, I meditate regularly, have yoga in my daily routine, have a rather healthy relationship with God.

But this is not how I always was. Like many in my generation, I was impressed with the fact that Amitabh Bachhan’s machismo came from his denial of God. I, too, thought that Yoga was for people with problems, and satsang for middle-aged women....

From then to now, it has been a journey of discovery, exhilaration, fulfillment and wonder. Through this column, I would like to take you with me on this onward journey. And this process, I hope, will be as rewarding for you, as I am sure it will be for me .

Ajay Mehta is a print designer, an Advanced Pranic Healer and a ‘spiritual’ seeker. He can be reached at ajaxmehta@gmail.com

Sundays Around Doon

We are the luckiest people in the world! Whether we go to Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata, the moment we say 'Dehradun' everybody looks at us with awe, admiration and envy. And why wouldn't they; we live in a quiet (okay, not so quiet any longer), small and beautiful valley with a glittering crown on its head - Mussoorie.

Umpteen times, when cousins or friends visited us from Delhi and elsewhere, the showcasing of the shimmering lights of Mussoorie used to be a special event on the terrace. The pride that we feel when people ask us about Dehra dun, Mussoorie and various other things related to Doon, is very genuine. And a Doonite will all his life be a Doonite at heart, where ever he may live in the world. Such is our attachment to Doon.

Ah! we love our Doon. Where else can a half-hour ride transport you to deep forests, vast open fields, meandering streams and gushing waterfalls, idyllic hillocks and glades - perfect places to spend a Sunday picnic. A Doonite gets typically restless as soon as Friday comes. His day and evening teas are spent discussing the options to go places this weekend. I'm sure as you read this, you will say, "Not any longer; things are so busy these days". And you will remember those days, when you did precisely the same - chalk out your Sunday picnics and outings. >>keep reading...


Him Ahuja is an avid traveler and runs a travel blog called www.allhimalaya.com

Unplanned Journeys

When I recently moved to DehraDun to start my own music company, I felt like a 17 year old again. The joy of doing what I love, the ability and willingness to go unconventional, not worrying about corporate titles, and actually giving up some fancy ones. Why would I not feel 17 again?

When I speak with young people today (and I speak with a lot of them), I know that this generation is smarter, more informed, take bigger risks and generally have; what a lot of us, now in our mid thirties, could never dream of. These guys actually ‘dream’ and think they can become whatever they want. Well, they dream…and then they have parents.

Honestly, I don’t blame the parents for being concerned about their children’s careers. We live in a world where success comes from first being able to afford some things. And that’s quite all right; my problem is with this sea of humanity that continues to slog in jobs and assignments that they have no interest in, but can’t get out of. They just get paid to do what they don’t like.

In this column, we would not talk about what careers are available or which exams to crack to be able to get into certain colleges. This column is about the dreamer in all of us. The little voice that tells us the truth about ourselves, and the one we usually ignore.

A lot of people ask me, “So, what shall I do?”, as if I am in some way responsible for dreaming and planning for them. My question to them of course is: “so, what do you think will make you happy?” If the answer is “I don’t know”…I definitely know I can’t help. You see ,if you were to ask me the way to Mussoorie, I can show you a road map, or tell you the way, but if you wanted to go to a ‘nice place’, I really would have no idea of what a ‘nice’ place is.

So here’s the deal, if you have a specific question about a career dilemma, your own or of people you know, I’ll try and answer truthfully. You may or may not like the answer, but that’s really beside the point. Isn’t it? Welcome to the first edition of ‘DehraDun Full Plate’ and have a great year ahead.

Vineet Panchhi owns and runs AudioWagon, his lifelong passion and now a music company. He blogs at Unplanned Journeys and can be reached at vineet.panchhi@audiowagon.com

My First Issue!

I feel as if I'm about to embark on a wondrous journey- one of discovery, soul-searching, change, insight and above all, acceptance- to accept the great reality and responsibility of parenthood. On some days we appreciate and are grateful for this miracle, but on most days, we just struggle to comprehend it, all the while trying to right our topsy-turvy world, our messy, chaotic, noisy, but infinitely full lives. A myriad emotions weave through our lives every day and whenever this fullness, this rich and vibrant feeling touches us, our heart just expands with love, pride and gratitude and we make a silent pledge to love, nurture and protect our children always.

Parenthood can be a rewarding, fulfilling experience, and brings with it so many opportunities for growth and change for us. But we feel overwhelmed, anxious, disoriented, helpless, and ill-prepared. We lose hope and just thrash around in the dark for answers. Our lives today are mostly about convenient solutions, ones that 'fit' or require the least amount of time, effort or attention. >>keep reading...

Juhi Mehta is the quintessential mother-teacher, and runs Life Express - an after-school center for children. She writes 'Reflections of an inner Journey''