sexypablo’s blog

On December 28, 2009, I wanted to see the Ajanta Circus.  I was lucky enough to get some time off from my busy work schedule at the back office.  I took a bus and went straight to Park Circus to see the show at 1 p.m.  I reached one hour before.  I started listening to radio and browsing from channel to channel one hour passed away quickly.  I bought a ticket and entered through the main gate.  There were several rates for tickets Rs. 30, Rs. 60, Rs. 100 etc. 

I sat and saw a beautiful tune was being played by the musician on the top of the gate where the circus performers will enter.  Beside that gate, there is a globe with perforations where three motor cyclists performed.  They were encircling the globe in three directions and their velocity is very fast.  But unusually they are not colliding. 

I was amazed to see the performers of the Ajanta Circus are not only Indian but there were performers from Russia, Africa, Mongolia.  Its interesting to see the stature of the African men They have broad chest and their ebony black skin color shining under the lights.  They are very energetic and had shown us a lot of gymnastic feats with the chairs.  Their balancing act is amazing.  Their body is like a plastic and it can be bent easily at will.  I can also show some as I do yoga regularly!

Circus is an art and you can see it in the performers of Russia.  Their flexible body twisting and turning swiftly will amaze you and you will see their performance spellbound!  Their rope gymnastics and their balancing of their bodies in air are amazing.  Some things in life are truly amazing and gymnastic is one such amazing thing and I have heard of that as most of you that Nadia Comaneci had scored 10 out of 10 which is a  rare feat! 

The clowns of circus are certainly a great attraction.  On one show, one dwarf man was trying to cut hair of the other one with a big scissors.  The other one was moving away in fear and the size of those men will make you laugh and their shrieks will give you a belly laugh. 

The elephants are seen hear to play drums and play cricket.  The way the elephants are striking every ball can give a run for money for the cricket players in the international team of Team India.  Their training seemed to be very good.

Now comes the parrots.  Here the parrots are not talking but their dribbling over the stage on a bar will amaze you. Their beautiful movements are really worth mentioning. 

Oh I forgot to tell you the short and long part of the story.  The tallest man came first at the show.  Though he was not at all tall, he had a false feet.  He was accompanied by a dwarf.  All the spectators were laughing out loudly.  This humor adds spice to life. 

Human pyramid was shown by the African performers.  On one of them, stood another and then another and on both sides another and its amazing to see how they tolerate and withstand each others weight.  Its nice to see how they coordinate and form that pyramid.  Thats a balancing act and it is also important in daily life and this coordination in a team can lead quickly to success. 

Ring dance was another amazing show.  A girl came and started dancing with one ring, then another and gradually a large number of rings, she swayed her belly clockwise and anticlockwise without a single ring falling down.  She took some rings on her left and some on the right and the spectators were spellbound!

My visit to Ajanta Circus was really worth remembering.  Last year, I had seen Nataraj and Russian circus and this year I had the wonderful opportunity to visit this circus and  felt fortunate to see the skills of the performers across different nations.  This demonstration of skills is really awesome and praiseworthy and the visitor feels to come and see the show again and again!

It was a Sunday evening.  I went to the Kali temple at Dakshineswar in Kolkata.  It was around 6 p.m.  I saw the room where Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa lived is filled with incense and the perfume of the incense will mesmerize you.  It will take you into a dream world.  It will take you into a world where the good thoughts rule and bad thoughts cease to exist.  You will feel enlightened if you meditate in this room.  You will feel that the whole world’s peace is in this room.  You will feel to stay in this room for hours.  Many people sit in this room.  So its advisable to leave the room quickly.  Still devotees like me sit there. 

On that particular Sunday, there was a devotional song being played at the outside in loudspeakers. The song was “Khandana Tobo.”  It was a devotional song in Bengali often played at the time of the worship of the lord at the Belur Math.  It’s a wonderful feeling, a wonderful experience when all the devotees meditate in a room.  There is a wonderful silence.  Where there is calm, where there is peace, I feel really happy to sit in this place and meditate for a while forgetting the anxieties of the world.  Once you put your mind in the devotion of the Lord, you will feel the troubles of life less painful, petty things in life will not bother you and you will feel an inwardly cool. 

This Sunday evening became memorable in my life.  The statue erected in front of the Kali Temple at Dakshinewar is worth visiting.  You can also see the statue.  It is just beside the library of the temple.  The white statue of Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa Dev is simple enigmatic!!

I would always advise you to go the Dakshineswar temple at least once a month and stand a few minutes looking at the Ganges.  In the evening, the lights glittering on the banks of the Howrah is worth watch.  The bridge lights add charm to your view.  One feel as if the stars of the sky are kissing Mother Earth. 

Music enriches life

Music enriches soul

Musical language is like heart beats

Goes on beating constantly …Dhak Dhak!!!

There is music everywhere

Your footsteps….

In your claps…………

In life of every living being on earth!

Without music…life is dull, sad….

With music….its full of joy and excitement….:)

Nothing excites me more than good music …..:)

The scientists are trying to figure out when the rocks were first erected on the stonehenge.  The stonehenge are structures found in Southern England and they are found in various patterns in circles and its amazing how these massive blocks were stones were erected at the ancient times.  They are found in Salisbury Plain, 80 miles southwest of London.  It consists of giant sandstone blocks and normal blue stones.  The blue stones are volcanic rocks with a bluish tint and white flecks. 

Techniques for the study:  Radiocarbon dating and analysis of soil pollen and sea shells for finding when the stones were set up. 

Researchers involved:  Tim Darvill, archeology professor at Bournemouth University and Geoff Wainwright, President of the Society of Antiquaries.

Historical importance of Stonehenge:  World Heritage Site since 1964.

The duration of the Research: 2 weeks.

Mr. Wainwright thinks the time when the Stonehenge was built could be found by studying the bluestones situated at 250 km away from the Presili Hills in North Pembrokeshire.  The research suggests that the bluestones were thought to have magical powers!!  The stones standing for more than 5000 years ago are marked by burial mounds.  The archeologists are digging a trench on one of the stone pillars sockets and taking samples and dating them.  The legend tells us that wizard Merlin built these magnificient structures.  They are meant for sacrifices for the sun worship.     

If you want to live long, then you must know the four hot spots where human beings live the longest.  The places on earth where people live the longest are known as Blue Zones.  This has been spotted by adventurer Dan Buettner.

The four spots are as follows:

1.  Barbagia region of Sardinia.

2.  The Okinawa Region Island of Japan.

3.  An Adventist Community of California.

4.  Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica.

These are the spots Dan Buettner visited where people live in their 90s and 100s.  He outlines how they add years of good life in this book "The Blue Zones."  In his book, he tries to summarize the secrets of long life.  They are as follows:

1.  Smaller food portions.

2.  Active lifestyle.

3.  Moderate drinking.

The term "Blue Zones" was the blue ink used by the Belgian demographer Michael Poulain to circle an area of long-living Sardinians on the map.  The common things for the super-elderly people are as follows:

a.  Close family relationships.

b.  Sense of purpose.

c.  Healthy eating habits.

He called the points of long living as Power Nine.

Buettner made his first expedition to Okinawa and wrote an article for National Geographic, "The Secrets of Long Life."  Check the issue of November 2005.  But Robert Butler, the CEO of the International Longevity Center, USA, is skeptical about the blue zones of Buettner.

Aapko bhool jane ka hosla na hua

Door rehkar bhi tumse juda na hua

Aapse milkar kisise aur kya milte

Koi dusra aap jaisa khaas na hua!

[1] Regular naps prevent old age, especially if you take them while driving.

[2] Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee .

[3] Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband! .

[4] I believe we should all pay our tax with a smile. I tried - but they wanted cash ..

[5] A child’s greatest period of growth is the month after you’ve purchased new school uniforms .

[6] Don’t feel bad. A lot of people have no talent ..

[7] Don’t marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot live without, but whatever you do, you’ll regret it later

[8] You can’t buy love, but you pay heavily for it .

[9] Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote .
[10] Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired

[11] Marriage is give and take. You’d better give it to her or she’ll take it anyway.

[12] My wife and I always compromise. I admit I’m wrong and she agrees with me.

[13] Those who can’t laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

[14] Ladies first. Pretty ladies sooner.

[15] A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

[16] You’re getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them.

[17] It doesn’t matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss.

[18] Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books.

[19] Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.

[20] Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something

[21] They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak!

[22] Man: Is there any way for long life?
        Dr: Get married.
        Man: Will it help?
        Dr: No, but then the thought of long life will never come.

[23]Why do couples hold hands during their wedding? It’s a formality just like two boxers shaking hands before the fight begins!

[24]Wife: Darling today is our anniversary, what should we do?
       Husband: Let us stand in silence for 2 minutes.

[25]It’s funny when people discuss Love Marriage vs Arranged. It’s like asking someone, if suicide is better or being murdered.

[26]There is only one perfect child in the world and every mother has it.

[27]There is only one perfect wife in the world and every neighbor has it!
 

The recent terror attack in Mumbai has shocked those living in Mumbai.  People all around India are shocked to see these incidents in the television and newspapers.  The attack on the The Taj, The Oberoi and the Nariman House.  From Friday morning to mid night, the three places became a battle field.  Really we, Indians, never saw a battle field like this before. 

In The Taj, there was a powerful explosion.  The NSG commando was seriously injured.  There are reports of more commandos taking bullets.  The firing rages on with fire and bullets in the air!  The new Taj buildings have been flushed out of the The Taj.  This incident shocked me.  I wonder how can a Five Star hotel like The Taj lack proper security.  A security that costs lives of the tourists and the visitors.  There should be close circuit cameras all around the building.  I know, all these things will be done after these attack.  Marine commandos recovered a lot of things.  They are 1200 dollars, AK rifles, credit cards, national identity card of Mauritius.  The firing resumes after 20 minutes stopping.  There are two to three terrorists who are reported to be inside. 

In The Oberoi, at least 30 hostages, most of them are foreigners are rescued.  Six foreigners are believed to be from airline crew.  Over 90 people rescued by the police.  I really appreciate the Mumbai police in its effort of fighting terrorism.  Cheer up defence department of Mumbai, you can do something more!!  About 200 people are still using the Trident building.  About 148 hostages are rescued.  Unfortunately Yes Bank Chairman went for a dinner is dead now.  His "Yes"  turned have been turned into "no" in his life.  He has been denied life by those terrorists.  But I am telling you terrorism can be fought if our sea side defence is strong.  If the big hotels provide more security to the visitors and those staying there, life would be safer.  Security after attacks like this that is going to happen after this terror attack is a "show."  I am telling you that a common man needs security and that responsibility of the security solely lies on the Government of India.  The foreigners are feeling nervous to visit India again.  These repeated terror attacks will hit the tourism industry.  Less tourists will come and India will lose the tag from "Incredible" to "Destructive."

In the Nariman House, the grenade explodes.  The NSG commandos open fire from a chopper.  Five commandos airdropped.  There was another grenade blast on the fourth floor.  As I am trying to tell you these things, I am feeling so tense.  The common man's security is at stake.  These attacks have been targeted to the British and Americans.  The terrorists hate them.  The rich class was targeted in these attacks.  60 more NSG commandos rushed to Mumbai. 

Well, that's not all, the trail of the terror attack went as far as Britain.  I mean, the investigations revealed two British born Pakistanis have been arrested in Mumbai.  A team of Scottland Yard's anti-terrorist and negotiators are on its way to Mumbai for investigations at the topmost level.  So, don't think the results of the investigations is coming from Indian brains only, it is a mixture!  Anyway, let the criminals get arrested and let there be peace in India.  After all, we want our brothers and sisters to live in peace and harmony.  India is a country where a number of religious communities live for a long time.  If there is no harmony, there will be war.

The recent resignation of Shivraj Patil from the post of Union Home Minister shows that the country's minister are not confident to deal with the times of crisis.  They fail to take any major decision and are nervous.  Let these posts be filled up with Ex-Army Generals who have fought wars.  They can be good administrators also.  Mr. Patil have been criticized for the following reasons:

1.  Terrorist and maoist threats.

2.  The Amarnath row.

3.  Recent attack on the Christians.

If such are the allegations on the minister, then how could he enter the office.  The election process is so stupid.  Incapable persons get to the powerful positions and good persons sidelined.  One of the cabinet ministers opined that there should be regional NSG centers.  This will help the guards reach the spot quickly.  Naturally his comment is good and I would like to appreciate.  I would like to say that the terror attack in Mumbai could have been prevented if our country's intelligence worked well.  Effeciency after any major attack is just a show and it has got no value.  Don't think that the terrorist will strike again seeing this tight security.  They will strike much later when the tense atmosphere has turned into a cool and casual environment and the strike will be made at a place where you have no security.  I will say, rather, the terrorists have a higher IQ than our so-called detective agencies.  They can easily fool you and only what you do is a public show for the purpose of winning elections!!!

Teacher is the lighthouse to the student.  He guides you and helps you explore the vast knowledge or rather sea of knowledge.  He guides you in the choice of text books and trains you so that you can think independently on the subject.  There are good teachers as well as bad teachers.  A good teacher guides you and explains you more than once if you do not follow the topic he is explaining.  The patience is an important factor that distinguishes one teacher from the other.  Another important factor that I should emphasize is the punctuality of a teacher.  If the teacher is punctual, a student impressed and a dutiful teacher with patience is appreciated by all.  Everybody likes him.  There are some teacher who are popular and tells jokes in between his serious lectures to break the serious mood of the class.  Teachers are of different types and of various colors.  By the word "color," I mean different personality traits and not at all the color of the dress.  A teacher's dress may be decent, formal, casual but his teaching will make a deep impression in the student's mind and in the understanding of the topic.  This understanding will help the student to think in a new way.  But while explaining the topic, the teacher may express it gently, mildly with a smile.  Sometimes harshly in a husky voice, sometimes beating the student, hurting his body so that he remembers.  But I am telling you, this is not the way!  The right way to teach is you explain the topic and tell it more than once to the student.  You have got no right to beat the student. Yes, its me saying to all teachers!!  You can say the student that you are not going to teach him but this beating and thrashing is not your role.  Your role is to teach! 

I was browsing the newspapers one day and went through an incident where an 8 year old girl was killed by his teacher.  The girl, Iftesham Chaudhury, died when her yoga teacher, Anita Das, hit her by slapping the girl.  Her head slammed against the wall.  The doctors could not save the class 2 student of Vidya Bharati School.  The teacher has been jailed for 2 years and she fled.  It happens in all cases.  Then later this person is caught by the police.  The principal of the school, Anjana Mallick, condemned the act.  She opined that the teacher's action was not deliberate.  In another way, she supported the teacher.  Is this is a teacher or a demon?  Let there be a severe punishment for this teacher!  A person who is so short tempered rather should not become a teacher at all.  In a teacher's training,  special training should be given to control the temper.  Anger expressed in front of the student gives a very bad impression.  If teaching is so tough that one loses temper, then that person should not become a teacher and give pain to the students.  Before becoming a teacher, psychological tests should be taken to see whether the person is abnormal or not, then he should not be allowed to become a teacher.  Only educational degree does not make you a teacher, you need to be a good person because teaching is not an easy thing.  It involves interaction with the student.  A crazy fool short-tempered person should be stopped at all costs from becoming a teacher!   My father, also a professor and have seen him from different angles of life even as a class teacher when I used to attend his classes at Narasinha Dutt College.  As a teacher, he teaches with a smile.  In college teaching, such beating never occurs.  It happens only in school!!  In personal life, my father as a teacher is good only in extreme cases, he gets angry!  A student is a big investment to the parent.  Think of the cost of education the parents are facing these days!  The reputation of the school will adorn your resume and for that parents are spending high and international schools are coming to the scenario.  Think of the child who was killed by her teacher, I mentioned above, his parents are shocked and frustrated and after reading this news, I became irritated.  In spite of my work pressure at my  back office, I find time to write and express my opinion.  The teacher should be searched and caught immediately and huge monetary compensation should be charged.  The punishment given to the teacher should be a landmark that will make other teachers afraid from being rude to their students.      

A principal of a school in Kolkata was arrested for hitting a 12 year old boy with a ruler and left a deep wound in his eye.  This incident shows how the head of a school can be rude to his student.  It has not only tarnished the reputation of the school but also made the image that our providers of education have lost their normal sense.  It is high time we end such atrocities.  We take some significant steps in the training of the teachers and improve the moral side.  There should be counseling of those teachers.  First they should be suspended from their school.  The parents should stop taking admissions in those schools.  A severe punishment should be given to the teacher. 

A district in Kerala called Idukki swore to wipe out corporal punishment.  State and civil society put up against the practice.   Parents, teachers, the child welfare board, even the district collector came together to realize this end.  But do you think corporal punishment should be abolished? I think we should punish those guilty of hardcore crimes only by hanging them.  This should be an example to the society for those committing heinous crimes.

Anthony Dymoke Powell once said "One of the worst things about life is not how nasty the people are.  You know that already.  It is how nasty the nice people can be."   Now I am going to tell you.  In this world, the percentage of nice people are decreasing.  The wicked and unscrupulous people are large in number.  Some people showing multiple personality are unpredictable.  We all know how nasty people are.  It is coming in the news.  There are people who protest and this protest has made a change in the ministers of Maharashtra in India.  So if you protest and have a strong opposition, we can have a new political party in West Bengal also.  But unfortunately this is not going to happen unless the opposition is strong.  For lack of stringent laws, these cruel teachers are tarnishing the image of education.  The punishment given to them should become an example for those who are doing the same things but getting scot free. 

I studied anthropology Hons in Bangabasi College.  It is a three year degree course.  The Bangabasi college is the college where anthropology was first started in India.  Later many colleges like Narasinha Dutt College, Habra Sri Chaitanya College also started teaching the subject in degree course.  (http://www.bangabasi.org/ )  This college was established in 1885 by Acharya Girish Chandra Bose. 

The college is in Rajkumar Chakraborty Sarani, previously known as Scott Lane.  There is a market around this college till its gate.  The stench of the market can be smelt from the Sealdah flyover.  This is something which will not change in the days to come.  Otherwise the college is good.  It has a strong union. Every time the protests are lead by the leaders of the union!  We are asked to assemble before the principal room leaving our classes.  If such a union was there in our office too, then many of our rights would not have been seized.  Here lies the role of a union.  An organization with a strong union points out the administration, "See here is your fault, correct it or else there will be no classes!!"  This is important in a democratic country like India.  Yes, we need people, who raises voices and if they do not raise voice against injustice, then unscrupulous people will simple "dance over your heard."  As I observe, we are living not in a City of Joy,  but always remember we are living in a City of Lambs.  I call Kolkata, a City of Lambs as there are few who raises voice against injustice.  If voice was raised, then Bappi Sen, the police officer who protested against eve teasing would not have been killed.  This is Kolkata where if you fall down in a road unconscious, there will be plenty of people who will crowd around your unconscious soul, but few are there who will give a helping hand!!  Does narcissism engulfing our personality like sharks??? So I really appreciate the role our college union in the maintenance of discipline of the college.  They can be called the "Second Hand" who is still maintaining the law and order in the college.  A union leader of Bangabasi reading my memoir will be happy to see the name of the college union given its due respect in the days to come! J

The open space in the college was small. I had Zoology and Botany as pass subjects.  English and Bengali are the two languages.  Environmental science was compulsory.  Bangabasi college provided the right atmosphere for the anthropology studies.  The open space in the college is small.  We had a small space and near the gate, there was a counter where we used to submit our fees.  On both side there are staircases that lead to the top.  There are 4 floors.  The college had large balcony.  The college had room where games were played.  Our environmental classes were held at the ground floor and also the language classes.  The Anthropology classes were taken in the second floor.  It was a common room where zoology and anthropology Hons were held.  The anthropology department had 3 segments separated by wooden partitions.  The middle part of the room is the place where our teachers used to take practical classes.  There are cupboards where large number of skulls and prehistoric stone tool casts were kept.  These were used to draw and practice.  Finally the drawing were signed by our madam, Ratna Bhattacharya. 

Our classes used to start at 10 a.m., sometimes 11 a.m.  Anthropology Hons classes were held.  The head of the department was Mrs. Ratna Bhattacharya.  The anthropology had 3 divisions.  Physical anthropology, Cultural anthropology and Prehistoric Archeology.  Physical anthropology classes was taken by Mr. Gopal Chandra Mondol.  He taught us well and provided us with notes.  Prehistoric Archeology classes were taken  by Priyadarshini Sengupta.  She gave us a lot of notes and book references.  The college library provided us with a lot of books and I felt motivated to study this subject in graduation as I had studied it in 11 and 12 instead of maths!!!  Cultural anthropology was taught by Mr. Arnab Das.  He has now recently shifted to University of Kolkata.  He was a good teacher whose lecture motivated us and created interest in the cultural study of man!  He provided us with references and recent discoveries. He told us how cultural anthropology developed in India.  Physical anthropology is a branch which deals with human biology and genetics.  This was taught by Mr. Mondol.  He used to teach us drawing diagrams.  Mr. Joydeep Sen used to teach us physical anthropology.  He  took the primatology classes.  The primatology is the study of human and nonhuman primates.  The apes, i.e. gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan and gibbon were studied as well as the monkeys found in the earth.  It is very interesting to study how the primates evolved and how gradually we evolved from nonhuman to human stage through millions of years of evolution.  The adaptation of the primates to their environment were studied.  Priyardarshini madam used to take class in prehistoric archeology.  She used to give us a lot of notes.  She told us how we excavate fossils, its technique.  Her voice was soft but the way she used to explain will put a scar on your mind for a long, long time!  In fact, the teachers of the anthropology department are really good! 

You are thinking why I chose this subject as a graduation subject.  I have studied anthropology at Narasinha Dutt College in class 11 and 12.  I have studied the science stream in Higher Secondary level and  I have not studied maths, I took anthropology as my optional instead of maths.  Isn't it unusual?  Anthropology is something I loved to study and I dreamed of doing research in the subject in the future.  I also got a chance in the post graduation at University of Kolkata.  I did classes there for a few days.  My father advised me to leave and ordered me to join a professional course.  I was first given training in WBCS at Rabindrabharati University at B.T. Road.  Anyway, anthropology is the subject I love and I used to write every year in the college's wall magazine.