A Day in Remote Rayagada

So after discovering the awesomeness of TCS made software for ALP (Adult Learning Program) -- the CBFL (Computer Based Functional Literacy) several thoughts cross my mind.Do we really have illiterate people in Odisha or is the concept as old as the initiative!!!Anyways if there are people in need, we can help them, so I leave it at that.

Next thing we know we get an email calling for volunteers for 2 training (train the trainer) at Rayagada - Sparsh, JK Paper Mills & Agragamee. Both Situ and I volunteer instantly and get ready for the assignment. Although excited, a hundred other things are running in my mind - the mosquitoes, malaria, remote region, accommodation, naxals and what not!! Anyways "darr k aage jeet hai ;) ". Only thought that's left is our 8 month old Rishika. She's never been without seeing her Mom for a night. And my Aaee (Granny), Aunty and Papa keep prodding - do you really have to go? Mom's cool. She knows! So, I cool down too :-)

I get back from Kolkata on Thursday night and wfh on Friday. Working till 6pm, I wind up to scoldings from Papa n Situ and hurry to pack for the 7:30 train - Hirakhand express to Rayagada.

We wake up around 5 am and wait for the station. It's dawn and the view is breathtaking!!! There are series of hill ranges!! Forest areas, eucalyptus plantations, Farmers tilling lands, bullocks, villagers. Just Wow!! Situ gets down at Rayagada and goes to Kashipur with the SRC officials to conduct training at Agragamee SRC. I get down at the next station, Singapuram Road. Meet 2 daredevil trainees, Ninoshka & Mansi who have travelled from Gajapati for this training. They come from diverse backgrounds and have opted for a 1 year fellowship helping rural communities. As part of SBI csr activities they form the youth for India group working with NGOs.

We have a car waiting at the station to take us to the guest house of JK Mills. It appears as if the area has been developed around the paper mill!! And it's amazing to see how an industry can change the landscape of a region :-).

We reach the guest house. It is way above my expectations, much better than what I had in mind :D Its still 7am! I call up Situ n check on her, inform back home and then fall flat on the bed for an hour :-). 8ish I get up n get ready for the day ahead and call up Mr Asutosh Das to check on the schedule for the day. Mr. Ashutosh looks after a lot of stuff along with the NGO Sparsh and has been in touch helping us with the details. The program would start by 10:30, so I still have time to explore the place and talk to him and others at the NGO.

Main Gate of JK Mills

The laptop and camera bags get picked and I go about admiring the beautifully maintained gardens and plants in the campus of the guest house, staff colonies! To my surprise the guest house officials say it is completely ok to leave the room unlocked :-)

Strolling, I walk upto the campus of the factory and they won't let me in without a helmet :-) (damn, I couldn't click that pic :P ). Went to the administration building n met Asutosh and his boss Mr Rajguru. Very nice, warm & hospitable people. After a series of intros and chit chats, I get up - its time to start the program.

To be continued..

Its a Baby Girl !

So now that my wife, Situ has published her interpretation of my thoughts and the events around the birth of our Baby,  I am left with no other option but to get my lazy self up and write about things I have been procrastinating since "God-knows-when"!!

Almost all of the 9 months we have had guesses, fights about would it be a baby boy or a girl... and what would we name it!! 1st I wished for a girl n then for a boy and at last decided  not to be inclined towards any particular gender :) It was all a game and Little did we know how exactly it felt to be a parent!

So Situ is admitted for an operation to take place later in the evening...I come home for a short lunch break leaving her with both of our Moms and we get a call shortly after from them that the doc came in early and - "Its a baby girl!".

I rush to the hospital with Papa....numerous thoughts running through my mind..My first thought being its a girl... Living in "almost" a joint family,  have never handled baby girls... its been boys always and that was one of the reasons we wanted one in the first place! Now that we have one am clueless...  So much of love without even seeing her till now!!

I mean if it would have been a boy, may be we can throw him out one day or he will run away himself or stay back...who knows...Doesn't matter either ways... But she's a girl... You have to be careful... You have to raise her delicately with lots of love and care and one day you will have to give her away!! 

  I know its ridiculous and archaic... but that's the way Indian society works... and you need to have the courage to get over that.. At the 2nd moment I laugh myself off thinking who knows whats in store... May be she will be potent enough to face the world... May be she will find her calling and stand up for herself... May be she will keep in touch after all :-) 

Lots of thoughts n we reach the hospital..Moms are unable to tell where did they take the baby for cleaning...Situ is still in the OT. Rest of the family also joins in, all waiting anxiously... Even Aaee (my Granny) has climbed the dreaded stairs to have a glimpse of Situ n the baby..Situ is brought out in a highly medicated state with saline n all n she is constantly mumbling about the pain she is in!!

I feel a tap on the shoulders & look back to see Papa whispering to me, "come if you want to see the baby". I am like-- What's with advocates & how do they have an eye for so much details! Impressed I follow him downstairs & he points to a small room with a single incubator.

Not knowing at all what to feel n think I move into that room and see a tiny baby moving her hands n legs under a bulb.. That very moment is rather overwhelming and inexplicable! From a state of "blank mind" to standing near a "live-playing-baby" that is yours!! Words fail & am all choked.. well as I said, inexplicable :)

Without facing Papa I quietly go upstairs to Situ's room.. Every one in the family is concerned about Situ & they are like are you crying for Situ!! Hehe... I am like no, "I saw it...it really is a baby.. a tiny one" :D

Aaee is all impatient to see the baby...She will be getting her 1st Great-Grandchild after all! They bring in the baby few moments later.. Now "another" first look at her and all my inhibitions and worries melt away... I instantly know she will be a fighter, born in a family of fighters where people are free to express, take their stand and do what matters!

Over the next 3 days we stay in the hospital with both our Moms taking turns to stay with us to help with the baby..Situ gains consciousness the next day & I hand her the baby with a kiss. Don't remember if I ever said thank you because those words would  have been dwarfed by the Sacrifice, Pain and Tapasyaa (guess the nearest English term is extreme-meditation) she went through for all of us to be sitting here!! No wonder they write so many things on the greatness of a Mother!

1st night both my Mom n Situ are sleeping n snoring in their beds in the hospital room, while I am keeping watch on the sleeping baby :-) She cries n I go up n clean her 1st potty.... Never thought of it then... but now whenever Situ accuses me of not cleaning her up, I bring up the topic that I cleaned the very 1st time :D :D And yes I sometimes think if she will like me once she grows up, will she be able to relate n of course I have thought of many ways to keep her liking me :D

Fast forward and the baby completed her 6 months recently... She's been blessed with a wonderful family support... She's been staying with Aaee and our aunty while we go off to work... may be she loves them more than us now... may be she is loved more by the entire family (being the youngest and only girl)... may be she's been mumbling Bababa Papapapa but when she is stressed and cries, she calls out  A ....Ma (grandmother) / ...Mamma (mother) :-) :-)

Pet Lover's Paradise at Galiff Street, Kolkata

I have been thinking of visiting the Galiff Street in Kolkata since I got here 2 years back. Used to go home every weekend hence missed on this. Galiff street sits every sunday from early morning to evening & is like a Plant & Pet Lover's Paradise :-)

Took 215A bus from New Town to Shyam Bazar Metro & walked down from there.. The street starts with a huge section of vendors selling plants. Good to find a lot of plants at one place & dont need to go scouting different nurseries!! I got some of my favourites here including Kalanchoe verticillata :)





Lets a closer look at those rose plants


Around 10 am, the market had already crowded up!




With the terrestrial or land-Plants section phasing out, started the Aqua zone with fishes, Aquarium plants & snails :) :)  That was actually my main purpose of visiting the place..




Was amazed to find so many of the blood worms & black worms as well :)




We just strayed further to check out the Cute Chicks, Puppies, Rabbits, Mice, Guinea Pigs, Birds :-)


We returned back to the start point combing the streets with what we missed.. Couldn't find a good deal for Shrimps / Prawns and could not find any Neon Tetras anywhere :(. However could lay hands on some Aquarose and ferns :)

And to my delight found a bonsai (Ficus microcarpa) for a great price around ₹ 500 for a 6 yr old!! Walked around for some nice Danios, Apple snails & a yellow hibiscus pot :). Took a taxi back home as we already exhausted!

Admiring the catch back at home :) :)

Cheetah-Leopard-Jaguar

So this is a topic which generates confusion. What is the difference between

• Cheetah
• Leopard
• Jaguar
• Panther

Are they all different species or similar. Are they related?
Actually the Cheetah is smaller than the Leopard & the Jaguar.The last two are different species, both sturdy and built to climb trees.

And a Panther may be a black Leopard and/or Jaguar.

Topic	Cheetah	Leopard	Jaguar
Tear Lines	On the face	No	No
Black Spots	Evenly spaced Oval black spots	Complex Flower like black spots called Rosettes	Bigger Rosettes with spots in the centre.
Region	Parts of Africa & Asia	Parts of Africa & South Asia	Parts of South America.
Others	Small Head	Robust head & body Structure. Climbs on trees & Stalks prey	Robust head & body Structure. Climbs trees