“OUR PLANNET” WHAT AM I DOING!

It is imperative and a reality that we need to save this planet. A planet for us and our brothers and sisters. Children and millions to be born.

We have lived and enjoyed most of nature but at the rate of pollution and hazardous activities human raze has got into we need to really sit back and think about the existence of Mother Nature. As I sit and think back I have many thoughts about the environment and how each one of us is contributing to the nature’s destruction. I am really not aware about the big talk around “CLIMATE CHANGE” and the carbon foot print and others but only have felt the change through personal experience:

1. 10 years ago, I remember we did not use even a fan at home or office in Bangalore city;
2. Summers are getting hotter each year particularly over the past 3 years. You all will agree that this year was unbearable;
3. Many water bodies I have personally visited are getting polluted Cavari river in Karnataka and Mahanadi river in Chhattisgarh are two rivers which were clean and beautiful I remember even bathing in them many years ago today they are all polluted beyond imagination; particularly in places where human contact is high.
4. Rains have become lesser particularly in northern India;we hear of failure in crops. Agriculture growing patern has changed;
5. My friends and I used to go by public transport, today every one have a personal vehicle, if not a car at least a 2 wheeler;
6. Increase in having junk food has increased leading to wastage of large quantity of packaging; earlier there used to be even milk bottles which were delivered with the milk and after consumption recycled and reused;
7. People use more plastic these days;
8. Consumption attitude has increased; of gadgets, every thing one thinks of;

Can we really make a change is my question, pondering over the matter some years ago I told myself that let me make a beginning and if not a large contribution will try to at least do something to humanity and planet which I believe has given me many things; so I am trying hard to do the following:

1. Use light only when it is needed; luckily, I don’t need any light but encourage folks at home to switch off lights;
2. Use electrical gadgets only when necessary;
3. Using only one bucket of water for bathing;
4. Using cold water for bathing at least in Delhi for 9 months in the year;
5. Using a mug of water for brushing teeth and face;
6. Use rechargeable batteries for my radio, camera;
7. Limited use of plastic – recycle plastic covers and bags; we at home use plastic bags for keeping cloths, I take them on my travels and keep using until its unusable; we take cloth bags for shopping including vegetables and grosaries;we avoide taking plastic bags unless situation is unavoidable.
8. We have decided not to purchase any vehicle; and use the public transport;
9. No use of air conditioners at home;
10. Walk where ever possible and not use the elevator;
11. Use one mobile until it gets obsolete;
12. don't print stuff for reading; including emails and reading stuff; first of all i don't need hard copies;
13. use CFL bulbs;

These are small things I know, but hope they make a change in the environment in the long run. My hurdle begins now, having tried to work on saving our plannet at a small scale my efforts are not really going to make a change I think because we:

1. get all stuff in plastic in the shop lets take a simple packet of maggy,packet of bread, packet of milk, curd, all our ration “””all in plastic””” can we do away with it???
2. We are fascinated by gadgets we tend to purchase more and more and fill the shelves of our house with these stupid toys as they become cheep and affordable;
3. All recycled products come at a higher pries/ at least to my knowledge; not reached by the common man;
4. printing stuff unnecesserally;

I only hope and pray that rivers, streams should not become history, natural habitation of birds and animals should not become comics for our children, forests become entirely concrete jungle with no space for peace and sanity, air and water become tradable commodities like food and clothing.

The thought still lingers in my head every day “our planet” what I am doing: are you?

Life in London 5

A wonderful time has passed by : with all the fun and work gone high: thinking of globalization, social policy, a bit of finance and economics. Studying at LSE was indeed a great experience enabling me to think out of the box (development & development) ) – perhaps now I have a % more understanding of globalization, finance, economics and politics.

It is great being in Europe- I have all the freedom to travel independently in London – what I mean is walking down the streets with out bumping into polls or being scared of dogs chasing my white cane, taking the tube where ever I wanted – a zigzag around the city under ground!!! A great social life meeting friends. Of course to mention had loads of time to reflect on myself and working on my own personality. –

What i like:

• Freedom of moving from my flat near Goodge Street to the tube.
• Taking the tube where ever I want around – Now I know most of London.
• Sticking to time – my sense of time management has improved drastically.
• Lets C europe – out of London almost every week end – Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Francford, Madrid, Budapest, Luxembourg, Glasgow, Edinborough, and so on.
• Social life with friends – some thing or the other was there to do every evening

What did I pick up new :

• Hot chocolate and fish & chips – a daily dose of hot chock let would keep me going
• More addiction to internet than ever
• Reading financial times
• Eating lots of carrets
• Great friendships

What I can’t forget :

• Going up ALPS
• Meeting my class mate from MCC in Luxembourg
• Traveling alone in Europe where I did not understand the language!!! Might have been lost for ever!!!
• Getting back home with out any help every day especially in the middle of the night.
• Spending time with friends every evening.
• Cooking.- rice, dhall and eggs – perhaps I am a good cook now – cooked for friends and even my uncle .


GuruBhai

LONDON 4

UK and the rest of Europe

Even though the UK is a part of the EU they like to be different

1. Schengan – The UK are not a part of schengan they do not allow free movement of services in Europe!
2. Electric plug: The UK has a square plugging system as against a round plug for the rest of Europe!
3. Time : The UK follows GMT and the most of Europe including Spain and Portugal though south west follow a different time!
4. Sink : All sinks for washing in the kitchen have 2 taps for hot and cold water as against one in rest of Europe!
5. Currency : pounds and Euro
6. Transport : In the UK driving is on the left whilst in rest of Europe it’s on the right!
7. Tubes : traveling on the tube is expensive in the UK when compared to rest of Europe!


They are different umm!!!

GuruBhai

LONDON 3

Then and now – how globalization works in my life:


4 years ago on December 15th I woke up to hear the sound of children playing in the fields and sound of a Hindi song cracking through a loud speaker in a small village in central India. Today I wake up on the 9th floor of a flat in central London. What is common is that in 2004 I woke up to listen to the BBC world service on my short wave radio and today I wake up to listen to the same BBC world service from my laptop how globalization works (1). That day I used the same kind of tooth brush, same brand of soap, same brand of jeans and t-shirt of course from some other country – guess it was Ethiopia and today I am wearing a Geneva t-shirt. Using the same Nokia brand mobile perhaps a much more High-Tec one how globalization works (2). Then I had to walk down to another village to call from a land line to my office folks and friends and mom today I am talking to the same people calling cheep from a mobile phone from London How globalization works (3). There was no internet or laptop which I owned then, today can’t live without one!!! How globalization works (4).

GuruBhai

Life in London 2 :

14 to run :

this is my experience of traveling in London between Holborn and Goodge Street between 3 – 6 PM ::::
An account of how many people had to marathon with me within 3 hours, for me to achieve my target!!!

I set off from LSE to meet some one at Hill martin road at 3 PM : My friend from class dropped me to the tube station (1)
The station staff at the tube station guided me to the tube (2),
I got off at Caledonian Road and again the station staff assisted me to the bus stop near by (3),
The bus driver told me where to get off (4),
I got off and requested for help to cross the street (5),
Walked down and at the next bus stop again asked for assistance to reach house number 404 (6),
Then my friend there dropped me back to the bus stop (7),
Again, the bus driver told me when to get off (8),
A lady helped me to cross the street (9),
I then walked down the street, asked for help to reach the super bazaar (10),
Asked for assistance at the shop (11),
He dropped me outside then I walked to the tube, met a man who guided me to the tube (12),
The tube staff assisted me to the tube (13),
Reached Goodge Street station staff helped me out (14),

Just thought
All these people gave me 2 to 4 minutes of their precious time in the day, without which achieving my target would have been difficult : at the same time I only dream is, if the city was more friendly where I could walk around with freedom life would have been much easier???

This was the first time I encountered 14 people within 3 hours for support. Without which I guess this journey would have been completed in 9 hours or I would have ended in hospital.

Cheers

Guru Bhai

life in London 1

Some comparisons of living in London and Delhi as a visually impaired person:

1. The payments are so clean enabling me to walk with my white cane; I seldom bump into trees, poles or need to navigate ditches which I often need to do in Delhi.- Often walk on the streets or road in Delhi.
2. The curbs on the footpath are so clearly laid out and even have warning tiles at each end for me to know when the road ends or begins.- no payments in delhi so there is no question of warning tiles:
3. The tube system is so friendly that I get assistance at the stations to board and unboard the tube. - Need to seek for help in Delhi.
4. No dogs on the streets to bark at my cane.
5. Tubes and busses have announcements of the stops so makes it easier to know when to get off – need to always ask co-passengers in Delhi.
6. Staff at the super bazaars support me in picking what ever I need from the shop. – do not get often in Delhi.
7. Got reading material from the parliament house in both audio format and in Braille – can’t think of one in Delhi.
8. Systems for cooking are simple. - Use of heating system and micro wave.
9. There are different cultural and artistic groups for visually impaired people where one can participate.
10. Banks don't ask for too many questions : can easily withdraw cash.
11. Generally public are helpful.

Guru Bhai