Abhala Naaari ...( A weak woman)

Empower women, bring equal rights, reserve seats for them in the parliament, let them have their freedom, give them wings to fly, what next? A mustache and a six pack.
Females have always been considered as the most poised and weak, among all living creatures.

Of course they are weak.;  Raising your eye brows wouldn't make me change my mind.


For ages women have always been portrayed to be at the feet of men. Take the case of dieties we worship every day. Goddess Parvathi always sits a step lower to Lord Shiva. Radha, Rukmini and the 15000 other wives of lover Lord Krishna used to line up beneath trees while he plays the flute sitting on the tree. There are umpteen examples to prove that women have always been considered meek and shy. If you are not, then like Pinki, the Asian athlete, you will have to go through a chromosomal test to prove that you are not a 'He'.


Yes women are weak, or else explain why Sati, child marriage, and widow remarriage are still a part of the social society in some parts of India. Why is jauhar, polygamy and burqa still practiced. Why are devadasis exploited and women restricted from zenana areas. They do not have any property in their name, nor can they acquire their parental property.

70 year old woman in WB was killed thinking her to be a witch. A tribal woman was beaten up in
Rajasthan for the same reason. Around 2500 women have died in India in the last 15 years. Sati and female foeticide, and witch hunt are still considered as abberations in India.

So, I still think that women are weak and it takes a lot of courage, and support to take them to what they wish to be. But men, always finds it convenient to keep them at their foot steps. We might, out of compassion or obligation be ready for such a place but we are the only strength you might be able to rely on when you are at your worst.

To conclude John locke once said "As people are walking all the time on the same spot, a path appears". Women might be weak to walk all the time but they a strong enough to find the right path. 

Just 150 words ...

Wouldn't you agree with me if I say that  life is full of intrigue. Well, mine was. Never had I come across a day when I had to vilify the deity and say "Why God, Why is it this way ?". 
But today I am honestly asking him so.

150 days back I came across a path less traveled, a road not taken by the herd, a show where I dealt with news, views, opinions, masti, mazzha, gossips, and even my take from the bulky Vidhya Balan to the brown eyes that Aaradhya Bachachan got from her father. 

It was one bumpy ride. 150 days went by and today when I sit down to write about the 150 days in 150 words, I am dabbling in my mind those myriad thoughts and memories, I hope wouldn't fade away, ever.

In fact, I confess that I have eidetic memories, when I think of Club FM, Cochin and an Air- Conditioned On Air studio.  

Well, on the 150th day, this is all that I had to say .... 

It is indeed difficult to let go off a mic, let go off a console and let go off a darn black headset. "Why God, Why is it this way"

Maximum Extreme Ultimate

It is indeed intriguing and funny when my parents wake up early in the morning, even on a Saturday. Come on, don’t you guys ever sleep. The worst part is when they enjoy waking me up, as well. I mean, haven’t they ever been taught in school to enjoy the sun’s rays in bed. All right, I agree, waking up early has helped me, but once in a while being a lazy bag of bones would not hurt either. Well, I should confess I am now used to the herculean task of waking up early in the morning. 7 o’clock, phew, it’s when I start with my dreams in proper order. 

Anyway, this morning my mom, as always, barged into my room, scanned through my gestures and yeah, began with her duties like doing the bed, unplugging the laptop, and mean while chanting the universal mantra “when I was your age, I was married, took up responsibilities.” Well, look at the odds; mom never had a laptop or a cell phone when she was my age. So getting married would have been the best option.

And so the point is, it’s now my turn, to tie the knot. But to whom?

They say behind every successful man, there is a woman. But now it is even better, behind every successful man is a woman rolling her eyes.  I have never felt there is a need to depend on a person whom you have never met before. As a matter of fact the word ‘depend’ is so bland, I loathe using it anywhere.They say marriage is an institution, the union of two different worlds. 

Who is saying so? Please do not ask me, I don’t know. But as far my knowledge goes, it is indeed difficult for two worlds to compromise. I am sure it will be like asking the vampires and humans to ink a peace treaty. Well, I can’t see that happening. Even, if it does, how would you know, which one among the vampires one should get married to?

Once, I asked my mom, the reason to why she got married. The debate went on for an hour or so, but I should say I wasn't convinced. Probably because I am better at debating. But that’s not the point. When men hate self dependent women, they tend to work on their ego, stop communicating and then compromise on everything. So, obviously one of them is never satisfied. I hate to say this but, women too are so complicated themselves. They make life difficult for men too.

Now, comes the question on why one should get married?

Ans. To break the odds.

Isn't that way too vague an argument? You tend to change life with a new person in it. As of now, you iron a single T-shirt and jeans, after marriage it would become a couple of t-shirts and jeans. For now, you twist and turn in your bed while amidst a good dream, after marriage it would be ‘stay away from my side of the bed’ scenario. So unless you are absolutely sure about someone, the difficulty just descends on you for good.

Hence, when you realize the difficulty in choosing someone on your own, especially when you have never succeeded in finding the right one, and all what you have found are coffees, movies, chocolates, ice creams and roses, which ultimately  is not  want one wants, you  bestow the duty of finding your better half to the elders in the family, simply because they were born before you, which obviously they dint have to work hard for, but giving the benefit of doubt, you promise to smile in front of them.

Then comes the mandatory exercises like make-over’s, photo shoots, and portfolios. When the pressure is way beyond the normal barometric level, women, go for Botox surgery. You read it right. Cosmetic surgeons before re-shaping whatever the bride-to-be hates in her most, or assumes she does, gives them sessions of counselling. Studies prove that, at the end of the ‘marriage thamasha’, she simply wants to get sold, I mean married off.

Still my question remains unanswered. Is it that difficult to be with someone whom you have never met before? Is it because I am trying to look beyond what I can see? 

Don't blame me, sometimes you just try very hard to get answers that are right in front you, without realizing its way too plain and simple. Yet again, my marriage finally comes down to fulfilling my destiny. I just hope it does not keep me from it. 

Why did you fall in love?.. Well, it's complicated... Why did you break up?.., Well, that's simple...

Women find it intriguing to open up to a guy, simply because they think, opening up themselves makes their relationship, flawless. Well, its vice versa too. But what everyone fails to realize is that, once the mystry is lost then there is nothing left to look forward to.
The recipe for a successful relationship is to keep the mystery going.

              The question on how  one would keep the lamp burning is such a cliche, because one simply keeps on asking for more, but little do they realize that they have the power to do it themselves. Its no miracle to stick to a single person whom you were attracted to in the first place. It's always about taking it slowly and keeping a surprise element. It's always about being creative. It's always about looking and feeling new every time you meet, be it for coffee, or a fresh juice for that matter.
Once both of you realize your transparent as bottled water, your done. PUFF!!, you wish to vanish.

The reasons why you lose interest in your guy/girl.?

New pasture: We, have the tendency to look beyond what we see and hence we are never satisfied with what we have, and what we need. Lacking the patience to take a walk on the side walk, or going to the place where you first met helps the spark. Once in a while, you can talk about those stammers and stutters you had when you first spoke to each other. You can take her to a nice cozy beautiful romantic place once in a blue moon. You can buy him his favorite movie CD, and cook for him his favorite food.

Competition: When you have to face competition with equally good or better once in your own gender, there are chances of  you losing interest in your partner, you tend to loath what you have and you go for what you want. So keep yourself updated to the changing trend and at times it will be good to change your shape once in a while. Beef up a bit if you have been skinny for a while, or reduce your body mass is you don't fit into those jeans that she bought you and vice versa.

Listen to each other: Once in a while, you can take your partner somewhere he/she loves to go. Dine to your partners choice. It's about communicating than compromising. simply let it flow.(eh, words that is).

It is kind of easy to break up. We do have golden words like, "I need some space', or " It's not you, its me", doled around us for good. Finding faults in a realtionship is more easy than building a strong one.

Now if you are still reading this, then i am sure you are finding reasons to break up with him/her .

How to lose a partner in less than 8.57 minutes.


Tell your partner the astrologer said so.Tell him/her your Kundli's don't match. Parents are the best ways in and out of a relationship. "They will never accept you, I am sorry my booobooo", is the first commandment on how to lose him/her without hurting a bit.

If both of you have a tendency to talk over the phone all night, then go all over the place when your put on hold. It's like the one way ticket out of the love tunnel.

You went for the movie without me, you did not call me last night, who were you with last night, all of these works all the time.

The most absurd reasons to break up are mostly, 'I am traveling', or  'I have to focus on my career' and even 'I have already told you i am a jerk/bitch', if you cant deal with it, then leave it.

The key is in driving your partner crazy.Breaking up with him/her is a cake walk, but only until you realize you loved him/her more than your deeds and words.

Honeymoon Travels !!

I promise to love you forever,every single day of forever, and this is just the beginning..

Tennder Greens, a tour operator, exclusively for honeymoon couples have started of in Trivandrum. This tour operating company has been providing services for a couple of years now.

“When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him. He shall be exempt for one year for the sake of her family, to bring joy to the wife he has married”-Deuteronomy 24:5”. This is one early reference to honeymoon from the bible.

Those first moments after marriage when everything around you is so tender and full of pleasure, when you see the mutual affection of your better half, comparing the radiance of your passion to the changing moon which is no sooner full. “We give them what they wish for”, says Prashanth, partner of Tennder Greens.

The moment the bride and the bridegroom are pronounced as man and wife, they become one heart and one soul.With dreams and prayers in their hearts, both of them walks down the aisle discovering great moments and valuing the culmination of years ahead. But its always one step at a time.So why not take this step with perfection.

Do you dream of being the prince of a fairy tale who takes your princess on a white horse? Have you wished your man to take you for a candle light dinner and carry you to a flower decorated room? Were you fascinated by the moments of love you have heard of or read about?

Dreamt of elements of romance and glorious weeks with your loving husband, then you have to spend your holidays with Tennder Greens, the ultimate honeymoon tour operators that makes the world around you not just romantic but magical. Be it your honeymoon or your silver jubilee anniversary, Tennder Greens will make your romantic getaway a life time memory. You do not have to plan you trip, Tennder Greens will design your dream for you. The red carpets are all ready for your arrival, giving you all the demands and desires.

This tour company owned by Prashanth Vargheese and Shiju Radhakrishnan, aims at giving the best to the two people what they have wished for and hoped for. The package is so flexible that your demands are met considering your budget. Varying from elite, premium and luxury, these tour operators gives the best, to get connected to the reality. So far their services have amused many couples, posted as testimonials on the website, Tennder Green feels proud about itself.

Now the question one would ask is why should a honeymoon vacation be so special. The reason is, it is the one chance you have to show your love , how much she means to you.This is one of those opportunities that you get to make those vows and promises you made on the Big day, a reality. This is one time you can reflect and reconnect with yourself and your loved one. “We listen and then design their vacation” says Shiju,partner Tennder Greens.

The pace of vacation, should be designed for the two of you, and thus Tennder Greens provides a ayurvedic packages as well.Thus bringing the true nature, culture and traditional roots of India to the couple, which is available as short ayurvedic packages and special ayurvedic packages. Tennder Green blends their offerings with the tranquility and essence of Kerala. Evolved through the years they have been connected to various five star resorts and hotels, assuring luxury and ecstasy.

If this is what you have been waiting for then check out tenndergreens.com, the one stop for a perfect honeymoon.

Buying a Home or buying a lifestyle !!!

Home sweet home

It is in deed the desire of a person to buy a home that sits next to gorgeous back water, blue skies and greenery. It all lies in taking the right choice. Surely, you will want a home that makes you feel safe, in a gated community.

“Convenience and security is of prior importance to our clients. Hence we have implemented biometric sensor entry that allows entry only if the finger prints match. This we provide in addition to the 24x7 security service”, said Reena, Heera Constructions.

“Letter box and reticulated gas service is provided to each apartment. This will keep strangers walking up and down the building”, she added.

You would want a home with a balcony or patio so you can sit outside and see whole of the City on a plot that lets in the first beam of the sun’s rays to your homes, letting every worry be a distant memory.

Perhaps you are looking for a home in Trivandrum. It can be an apartment or an independent home that gives you the tranquility of peace and quite, yet being easily accessible to your office or your child’s school. Or may be you will later want to retire to an apartment. In that case you will want an affordable apartment, minutes away from fun and exciting yet not compromising on the present amenities that are offered at an affordable price.

The present day amenities that are offered or asked for includes a luxurious swimming pool, laundry area with washers and dryers, covered parking, pet-friendly community, gated access, in-unit security, recreation area(Both indoors and outdoors), guest bathrooms, 24 hours open exercise facilities, business centre and most of all breath taking views and fountains.

You could be looking for the choice from studio apartments, two bedroom apartments , three bedroom apartment or even a pent house. Which ever it is, it is important for you to live in, that offers space for your family and once in a while those friends and family who would visit you. If you choose an apartment that offers a recreation room, you and your guests can meet in the spacious recreation room or all of you can enjoy a day in the pool, spa or sauna while catching up with each other.

A well lit tennis court or a badminton court in your apartment will buy you a nice game, even at night with your friends.The following morning you and your guests can take a long walk or jog around the track which are other facilities available in apartments today.

“Proximity and luxury should be given importance while thinking of buying an apartment. What clients what are not amenities but for ever a relaxed life. Apart from Children’s play area, or recreation area for adults, mini halls, health clubs, home theatre and even a room for indoor games like Table Tennis are some of the present day apartments.”, said Reena, Heera Constructions.

Throw your laundry in, while you and your guests have fun on the putting green.  Today most apartments have laundry services and drying areas.

Take a little break by the stunning fountains and gardens. Show your friends that Malls and the facilities around your apartments and before you know it, your friends and family will want to move into an apartment in the area you live in as well.

Yet there are a few who would want to by apartments for comfort and safety with very little expense. “Comfort is important and so is monthly expense. When a luxury apartment is bought, the monthly charge peeks which makes it difficult for people to stay in them. Keeping this in mind, we always tried giving each client separate electricity, cooking gas and water connections, so they simply have to pay for what they have used.”, said Samuel, Samson and Sons constructions.

Construction companies are bringing in novel ideas to give every client what they have always dreamed of. With land area available in plenty and development rocketing, ideas of having townships within city limits, with day care centre, grocery shop, and  shopping mart, in your very own property, is not a dream any more.

“The amenities provided depends on the area. If the plot is away from the city, the facilities will be more. If the plot is within city limits the facilities provided will be limited. Yet we maintain a reasonable number of facilities like video door phone, swimming pool and Children’s play area.”, said consultant from Favourite homes constructions.

Apart from a flexible rental leasing options that should be a criterion while choosing an apartment, you should also keep in mind the purpose for buying the apartment. Whether it is for an investment purpose or whether it is for your family.

The benefit of choosing apartments over independent houses is that your choice may make you feel like you are on vacation. You will feel very comfortable and at home living in it.

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS - Is it ethical ?

Before we start on what genetic engineered food will do to humans and animals, we need to understand why we are discussing a concept that most people would not dare to think. A couple of days back there was a news that created wide spread havoc among people. No one could even imagine that Genetic Engineered Food could disrupt the immune system as noticed on certain lab animals ,after GM food was tested on them. From this very incident, human population concluded to the very idea that GM crops aren't good for life. If you think this inference to be true then winding through time will give you an idea of what innovations and ideas lead to.

Science has a very important part to play in our life's. It is important to abide by science and innovations, though equally important to fear novel ideas. I agree, that we are very skeptical about what happens to us, especially when we have little knowledge about the something. For centuries we have been conditioned to this state of mind. Starting from the earth being round, electricity from lightning, and even our very own gravity, it took us some time to accept the science behind all these. But the curious cat in us kept us at the verge of discoveries and innovations. This is why, when nature ran away from fire we tried to tame it. Today we have come a long way from what we were. Right from building Rome, to 3D movie pills, we have seen it all and more is yet to come. This urge in us helped us to find the secrets of life.

When ideas are planned, worked and found successful, it is true that millions of questions would have to be answered. So was the case with the  idea of recombinant DNA. Gene splicing and artificial DNA were concepts and segments, that normal people could not understand. Until 1975, the success of the  Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA, brought a new wave to human mankind. Though repercussions are still being felt due to the idea being implemented, the betterment to human life was understood and widely accepted.

Unfortunately GM crops have failed to get the same transient response. There are many organisations trying to bring up GM crops into the main stream, but the moment certain organisations think of making profit, the goal is diverted. For example the awareness of cigarettes and health hazards, was done in such a way that the cigarette companies will not be affected. The researches done on youth and old for fagging, were in vain. So before ripping away the concept of genetically engineered crops, we need to know the theories behind them.

THE QUESTION?
Is it safe?

GM products are widely used in medicine, and no such complaints have been made though, even when we consume them directly or even inject them into our body. These crops were introduced in USA much before anywhere else. Many commonly used food items used by them like corn, potato, maize, sugar beets were already GM. It is the duty of US FDA to certify new GM products for their safety. US FDA uses a 'substantial equivalence' principle in evaluating the new products. This was to facilitate rapid approval for genetically modified foods and was proposed by the Food and agricultural organisation(FAO) and World health organisation in early 1990s. This method was adopted because stringent testing of food products would cost millions of dollars and years of testing. Such demands and delays would make genetically modified foods unprofitable for private companies. Thus substantial equivalence could allow products to get to market within months of their development. There are questions regarding this method and even though controversies prevail, it has to be noted that till date there are no significant cases of human safety issues related to consuming GM food reported from USA.

WHAT ABOUT KERALITES?
It is true Kerala is aimed as a testing ground. Till date we do not have our own research programs, important for our farmers, observing precautions and insisting liabilities for the same. We do not have a transgenic gene testing laboratory. So in order to know more about GM crops,we need to conduct a case by case study of experiments and take relevant decisions. Since there are not many experiments that have been successful, it would not be difficult to go for a close examination. It is true that genes placed in one genome might not have an effect on it directly, but that might not be the case for a GM-ed species.Though our knowledge in genetics is good, we still do not have enough to warrant on cursory engineering. If more genetic engineering is involved then we could be mounting on a never-ending carousel of research and dictators who would instill an unnecessary concern within us. With fear mongering over human health, the issue will be diverted, may be for good or even for bad.

There are genuine apprehensions in introducing GM crops into the ecosystem. Mainly because there might be a general nature in genes, to act uncontrollable and self propagating, into once they are inserted into germ cells, and widely dispersed.

These GM seeds now developed do not have terminator genes by law and might show chances of genetic intermixing with other strains and then into general ecosystem. The wipe out of pests and insects using this technique is not specific, as they themselves are undergoing favourable mutation.

UNANSWERED?
Though this is a prominent fact, the argument to the whole process presented as an unmitigated disaster to human life is inadequate. More over the ethical values and religious beliefs cannot be ruled out. Also the question of replicating the genetic traits transferred over generations stays unanswered.

“In India, its more of religious thoughts than ethical views. It is true the naturality of any living organism will be lost but then according to nature any organism that is weak needs to be killed but we still do all that we know, keep it alive. Still keeping the consequences in mind. The splicing of gene can hinder side effects, but only under close inspection and successful result from non profit organisations and societal monitoring should they be released to the public. The argument about  causing imbalance to the ecosystem like killing of lower organisms like earthworms and honey bees is not valid, because we use strong fertilizers and pesticides that kill these organisms in one way or the other. Our aim should never be based on insect resistant or herbicide resistant crops, but on drought resistant and higher productivity crops. We need to find what we need.”, says RVG Menon, Activists, Advisor and Environmentalist.

The fear to use GM crops can be can also contradicted with integrated nutrient management practises and integrated pest management practises in which the farmer is promised for an adequate availability of quality fertilizers through periodical demand assessment and timely supply of seeds. India being the third largest in production and consumption after China and USA, might find the need to step up GM crops for the country and its people, still keeping in mind that these crops might marr the balance of ecosystem. Bringing in Bt crops was detrimental as myriad organisms both living on land and water were harmed.

BENEFIT OF DOUBT!
Concluding all the facts, it is very clear that innovations and discoveries are a necessary evil. Without them we would not have made anti-biotic tablets, we would not have made fertilizers and nutrients for cultivation. Though a moratorium is called on for GM crops it is our duty and responsibility to study more and find the possibility for a better future. Though this might seem as a mission impossible, it surely has a high potential for happy ending.