TIGblogs - K.Mathur's TIGBlog http://KayEm.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us Why Discuss Pros and Cons? http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/7567305
Why Discuss Pros and Cons? Why not just the “Pros”? Why give others a chance
to see all the problems with your project instead of just the pluses?



To find out more please head on over
to Cybernag’s blog where I was invited to write a guest post. Needless to say,
I was honoured to accept as she writes most beautifully about social issues
that affect India and Indians.




Image courtesynbsp; Microsoft Free Clipart




]]> Sat, 05 May 2012 08:05:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/7567305 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Bombay In Her Heart - K.Mathur Interview http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4935029 I was interviewed by the Hutt News for Never Mind Yaar. It looks like the interview, in writing, ends abruptly. Still, I enjoyed the experience and managed to talk about everything I feel strongly about beside the book.



Please click on the photo to enlarge and read the interview



In NZ the book is available at The Best Little Bookstorenbsp;

nbsp;In India, it is with the editors and will be available soon.

Also available on Amazon, USA.

For more on the book, please visit the "About Never Mind Yaar" section.







.



]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:08:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4935029 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Another Review From India http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4935037 "Overall, a lovely book that will flood your brain with fond memories of college , friends and first love." says reviewer, Bhargavi, of Hyphenatedsemicolons, about Never Mind Yaar.nbsp;



"The book not only makes you nostalgic,but also makes you think and want to make a difference."



The link to her review -nbsp;



http://hyphenatedsemicolons.bl​ogspot.com/2011/08/never-mind-​yaar-by-kmathur.html



Thank you Bhargavi.



Hopefully, the book will be available in India soon. For Excerpts and a reading from the story, please go to the "About The Book" section. http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/p/about-book.html









.nbsp;
]]> Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:08:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4935037 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Necessity the Mother of Technology Advances in Rural India? http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4935039

I remember in the seventies and eighties even we, living in a mega metropolis like Mumbai, couldn’t get a telephone line and in the nineties, at a heavy cost to India (please google "2G scam"), cell phones took off in India. Suddenly, even our villagers had connectivity. So many of them might not have had light, clean water to drink or proper roads to walk on amongst other things. But they had cell phones!nbsp;


The light they used was smokey kerosene lamps that polluted their air, gave them breathing problems and made their eyes water. But now, guess what? Fed up of kerosene lamps, our villagers are powering their houses with solar panels. They kept waiting for a power grid, one that was promised by - you guessed it - their Government. But year after futile year of waiting and the electricity grid never did reach so many of their villages. It just remained an empty promise. Many of them had invested heavily in getting their houses wired in anticipation of the grids being introduced in their villages. Unfortunately, it was hard-earned cash that went down the drain. Now, thanks to the private sector, they've shelled out once more to have solar panels installed on their roofs.


Solar powered houses have one or two problems. The main problem is that the installation cost is high. But when villagers are shown how they make up the cost in no time at all by not spending on kerosene which gives them so many health problems, they've started buying in enthusiastically. There are other problems too. Without getting too technical, it is to do with ac-dc currents and batteries. But the advantage is that solar panels are relatively maintenance free. And the more they are used (as in Germany) the cheaper they get.



As for the government electricity grids which have already cost them dearly, they have been forced to write that expense off. Still, they are thrilled and who can't help but be happy for them.



Links used to write this post:

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/solar-lamps-transform-indian-village/nbsp;

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Solar_energy_could_help_light_up_Indias_villages-nid-37425.htmlnbsp;

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-21/interviews/28008346_1_solar-power-solar-panels-pv-modules

http://environment-msnbc.newsvine.com/_news/2011/07/02/6998926-indias-rural-poor-give-up-on-power-grid-go-solarnbsp;









.


]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:08:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4935039 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Mumbai Blasts - Again http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4905971 WHY?



Are we an easy target? Is that because we are peaceful and don't interfere with others? Is someone trying to get cash for another major hate filled project? After all one of the three simultaneous blasts was in the gold market - Zaveri Bazaar.



And another thought that comes to mind - Will we ever come to know answers to any of the above? Or not? Will we ever know the truth?



On a personal level, everyone must hope family living in Mumbai is okay. 21 lives gone for no fault of their own. What a needless loss. Whose God allows such a crime? Some terrorists say they don't care if they die - life is expendable. Then why do they ensure their families are well looked after when they are gone? Why do the ones who preach them that life is expendable, reassure them thus? Is their family the exception to that concocted-for-convenience belief? Why don't they let their family join them in heaven? Why ensure their well being on earth? I think suicide bombers are as trapped by their circumstances as we are by the desire of those who want (and wish for) a different world order where they are in power and who enlist these bombers.



Before this becomes a rant, I know it isn't suicide bombers this time. This time the bombs were planted. Three in all. Simultaneous explosions as in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. As usual, the public rallied around to help the injured. Handcarts, trucks, motorcycles, whatever was at hand was used to transport the injured to hospitals.



Is there anything the public can do before such an event? Some say it was a tiffin box lying about that concealed the bomb; others say it was in a car. Mumbai is chaotic. Too easy to leave something somewhere with no one paying attention. Terrorists love chaos and thrive in it.



Perhaps only if we wring order from chaos will we be able to see things clearer. What can we do to prevent packages from being left about?nbsp; Be trained through television to be more vigilant? Perhaps drop written complaints or suspicions into boxes? A direct phone line? I think it all sounds like a logistical nightmare with millions of real or imagined suspicions and sightings daily.



What should we do about vendors or the homeless - arriving into Mumbai in their droves everyday because there is no infrastructure in their towns and villages - clogging our footpaths. Do we turn them away? Mumbai never has. We feel helpless. Perhaps the government should stop collecting tax payer money for their individual Swiss accounts and start on infrastructure for our towns and villages.



Somethimes I wonder if Swiss accounts were stopped, poverty would be wiped out. But that is another thought for another day.



How else can we make our beautiful, coastal city less chaotic? How else do we make it difficult for terrorists to stop hurting us? Hope, for starters, the ones who set off these bombs are caught and severely punished. Hope their leaders are exposed and swiftly brought to justice. Hope we can do something to ensure there are no more bombs in Mumbai. Hope we know what that "something" is.



India Today's link to today's (yesterday's) blasts: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/mumbai-blast-three-blasts-in-mumbai/1/144704.html







.
]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:07:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4905971 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 People who deny Climate Change Are Indirectly Helped by Media says Al Gore http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4863047





Environmental/Eco Globe and leaf Icon by Kendraschaefer, openclipart

In his own words, Here is the core of it: we are destroying the climate balance that is essential to the survival of our civilization. This is not a distant or abstract threat; it is happening now. The United States is the only nation that can rally a global effort to save our future. And the president is the only person who can rally the United States.



More important, it outlines what we, the ordinary people could do. Here's the link: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/climate-of-denial-20110622?print=true





A strange twist to Al Gore's article is the one I read before it at the following link:

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/al-gore-president-obama-has-failed-on-climate-chnage.php#comment-233376582



To me it seemed like nothing Al Gore said. After reading it I felt that most of Al Gore's article was a rave and a rant against Barrack. And Maggie519, one of the commentators after the article seems to agree. Part of her comment is here:



They (the media) gave equal time/credence to the climate deniers:false equivalency. nbsp;It's not hard to imagine how this was hijacked into an Obama hit piece by the MSM. nbsp; He actually PRAISED the Presidents efforts on this front in spite of all the odds. nbsp;The only criticism (one sentence by the way) was that Obama didn't use the "bully pulpit" to push back against the deniers harder. nbsp;



Made me wonder about the intentions of the author of that article, Benjy something or the other. Never mind, the important issues are

  • how rapidly some of our life-giving activities like cooking, keeping warm, travelling, transportation, our very way of life, are threatening the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil we grow our plants in,nbsp;

  • how we could make changes so that we can continue making life easy for ourselves without polluting the atmosphere

  • how innovations for this is where our research efforts should be; not only will it help the environment, it is what will make the nation from where these innovations originate, the nation that invests in this kind of research, very wealthy.

  • how educating everyone about these issues is essential so that we have ordinary people's buy in

and Al Gore, as usual, has pointed out only too well, the reasons why this isn't happening in the States. He has also pointed out what we, the ordinary people who believe climate is changing because of human activity can do.



Here's the link again:





http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/climate-of-denial-20110622?print=true







.
]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:06:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4863047 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 How do we Create a Pro Environment Culture? http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4514941


Some of our life-giving activities involve burning fossil fuels like coal and oil so we can cook, keep warm, travel and transport goods made in factories to our shops and ultimately, our homes. This is our way of life. Why is it under threat from the very activities that have made life easy so far?



How are these activities impacting our health? The simplest answer is that the volume of human activity has increased so much, it is releasing too many pollutants into our soil, water and air.



The World Health Organisation has set safety standards for these pollutants. According to WHO, these pollutants cannot exceed a certain level in our air, soil or water. Besides WHO, our government has set safety standards and maximum allowable limits too. But where enforcement and implementation are concerned, our government is extremely lax.



We obviously cannot stop our activities but what we can do is complete the cycle of taking a resource from the earth, the atmosphere and waters we live off by giving back a reusable resource as the end product of our activities.



To date what we’ve been doing is taking a resource, using it to make whatever is useful and ending the process there. We haven’t had to think about what by-product we’ve created. All too often this has been a pollutant that poisons our health and the environment.



Some of the major pollutants produced because of human activities are:



* Carbon monoxide

* Carbon Dioxide

* Sulphur dioxide

* Nitrogen dioxide

* Acid Rain

* Particulate Matter

* Ground Level Ozone

* Odours —from garbage, sewage, and industrial processes



Why, and to what extent are these pollutants dangerous for our health and well being? Why shouldn’t they be the end products of our activities? Why isn't it enough to think beyond the end product we want from our activities (like goods from our factories)to what else we’ve created in the process? What pro environment actions can we take? Are they easy? Yes, if we understand what each of the above chemicals we release into our environment does to our health and to everything living.



Go to Part II at http://www.nevermindyaar.com/pro-environment-actions/ to find out.
]]> Sun, 27 Mar 2011 04:03:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4514941 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 The Mumbai I Knew http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4390545


The Irani joints served the best Brun Pao or crusty bread with white butter and chai. I remember, when I was a flight attendent, we stopped off at one in our uniforms at around 5:00 am on our way back from a tiring flight. Fifteen minutes of unwinding with a brun pao, chai and an especially nice band of colleagues literally washed away our tiredness. In those days even the van drivers who took us back home from the airport were game and had the time in-between drop-offs and pick-ups. I wonder if those days can ever be repeated today. Sigh!



I loved some of the Mumbai (in those days, Bombay) restaurants for being unpretentious, clean and reasonably priced. The food had to be pretty authentic of course. This clip from Geobeats is of one such restaurant. This site pretty much covers all my favourite joints.



On a personal note, much to my regret, we couldn't stay in Mumbai for long during our last visit. We were anxious to be with someone who we were told was almost on her deathbed and had already cut short our stay in Mumbai. Happily, she is well now.



I do believe the kids enjoyed Pune, Jaipur and family very much. They need not feel they missed out on Mumbai if they visit geobeats. This site will show them the Mumbai I grew up in and knew intimately.



http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/india/mumbai/britannia-restaurant
]]> Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:02:00 -0500 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4390545 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Never Mind Yaar available at "The Best Little Book Store, NZ" http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3629463


Aziza's song is to celebrate the fact that "Never Mind Yaar" is now available at "The Best Little Book Store, NZ"



Here's the link to Inspiration, sung by Aziza:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TWwfHW69Fs



I have just returned from a wonderful holiday in India. My next few posts will be about that trip - especially, what has changed and what remains the same.
]]> Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:12:00 -0500 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3629463 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 MELODY MARRIED TO HARMONY http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3294341


Yes, Never Mind Yaar, is on Amazon.



Here"s the link:

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Never-Mind-Yaar-K-Mathur/dp/0473174790/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1289163271sr=1-1

(shortened link: http://tiny.cc/8imyw





By next week it should be available at The Best Little Book Store, NZ. When that happens, I shall put up a link to another wonderful singer - Aziza Mustafa Zadeh - singing Inspiration.



Next stop - India!
]]> Mon, 15 Nov 2010 04:11:00 -0500 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3294341 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Is Racism More Prevalent among white communities? http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080929
http://discuss.tigweb.org/thread/43377
]]> Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:10:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080929 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Business in India - A bumpier but freer road http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080935 ]]> Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:10:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080935 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Air Powered Car by Tatas. Had to share this http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080941


It is the very same Tatas who are now about to embark on this new and exciting technological venture. I couldn't be happier for them and wish them every success.
]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:09:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080941 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 Precise Date and time on which China and India will overtake the west http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080943 ]]> Sun, 19 Sep 2010 10:09:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080943 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 The Long Day Closes, Arthur Sullivan http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4339387 ]]> Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:09:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/4339387 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 A Healthier Option to non-stick Teflon: A hot plate for less than a dollar http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080953
Mansukhbhai's products are only now being seen in markets and he's received orders from as far away as Africa and the US. To see pictures of his products, click on his link:http://www.mitticool.in/Mitticoolrefrigerator.htm
]]> Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:08:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080953 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667 India Redefined - a movement started by Ranjana Kanti in 2008 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080955


She says there are so many Indians who wish to do things for their country but don't know where to begin. I would seriously recommend India Redefined. Anyone can join, anyone can make a difference. It is a movement of the people and follows Gandhian principles. There is no fee to join. All Ranjana asks is for one very valuable resource - time. In her own words, "Commit certain time of your day, week or month to take up the issues of your area." Whether it's once a day, once a week or once a month is entirely up to you.



I've dedicated a full paragraph to her movement in my book. More about my book later. This is the link to her movement.

http://www.indiaredefined-a4c.org/ and this: http://tiny.cc/5n3qo is a shortened link to this post
]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:08:00 -0400 http://KayEm.tigblog.org/post/3080955 -36.8666667 174.7666667-36.8666667174.7666667